» 


LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


PRESENTED  BY 
MRS.  NELLIE  R.  PREUSS 


,- — -\ 

A  ,x. 


' 

&-~(S- 


' 


LANDSCAPE  * 
*  GARDENING 


NOTES  AND  SUGGESTIONS  ON  LAWNS  AND  LAWN 
PLANTING- LAYING  OUT  AND  ARRANGEMENT  OF 
COUNTRY  PLACES,  LARGE  AND  SMALL  PARKS,  CEM- 
ETERY PLOTS,  AND  RAILWAY-STATION  LAWNS-DE- 
CIDUOUS AND  EVERGREEN  TREES  AND  SHRUBS-THE 
HARDY  BORDER-BEDDING  PLANTS-ROCKWORK,  ETC. 


SAMUEL  PARSONS,  JR. 

U-" 
SUPERINTENDENT    OF    PARKS,    NEW    YORK   CITY 


ILLUSTRATED 


I  should  prefer  the  delights  of  a  garden  to  the 
dominion  of  a  world." — JOHN  ADAMS 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

NEW  YORK  LONDON 

WEST  TWENTY-THIRD    STREET  27    KING   WILLIAM   STREET,   STRAND 

Lnc  fmicfeerbocfeer  press 


1891 


COPYRIGHT,  i8qi 

BY 
SAMUEL  PARSONS,  JR. 


TEbe  ImCclierbocber  press,  •Rc'v  J2orft 

Electrotyped,  Printed,  and  Bound  oy 
G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION 


THE  LAWN 


CHAPTER  I. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS 

CHAPTER  III. 
SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN    ..... 

CHAPTER  IV. 
TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN 

CHAPTER    V. 
THE  FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER 

CHAPTER  VI. 
GREEN  AUTUMNAL  FOLIAGE 

CHAPTER  VII. 
AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN         .... 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT 


PAGE 

xi 


32 


53 


1 06 


114 


135 


iv  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
GARDEN  FLOWERS        .         .  ^55 

CHAPTER  X. 
GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN 201 

CHAPTER  XI. 
BEDDING  PLANTS 216 

CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  ORNAMENTATION  OF  PONDS  AND  LAKES       ....     238 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  SMALL  PLACES 255 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
CITY  PARKS  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .271 

CHAPTER  XV. 
RAILWAY,  CHURCHYARD,  AND  CEMETERY  LAWN-PLANTING        .     295 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

NOOKERIES  ON  THE  HOME  GROUNDS 307 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
MY  FRIEND  THE  ANDROMEDA 312 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


THE  POND  EFFECT — LOTUSES  AND  WATER-LI  LI  KS    ....         Frontispiece 

LAWN  IN  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK,  NEAR  THE  NORTH  END  OF  THE  MALL  .  17 

ROUGH  UNGRADED  BANK 18 

CLOSELY  MASSED  ROCKS  ON  FINISHED  STEEP  BANK 19 

PARTLY  FINISHED  ROCKY  BANK  READY  FOR  PLANTING 21 

ENTRANCE  TO  CAVE  IN  THE  RAMBLE,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK   ...  23 

STEPS  LEADING  TO  CAVE  IN  THE  RAMBLE,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK    .         .  25 

STONE  BRIDGE  ADJOINING  LARGE  NATURAL  ROCK,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK  27 

YUCCA  RECURVA 29 

YELLOW  JASMINE  (Jasminum  nudifloruni) 35 

WEEPING  GOLDEN  BELL  (Forsythia  suspensa) 39 

FLOWERING  DOGWOOD  (Cornus  Florida) 40 

DOUBLE-FLOWERING  APPLE  (Pyrus  spectabilis) 41 

THE  DOUBLE-FLOWERING  CHERRY  (Prunus  cerasus,  Jt.pl.)       ....  42 

SOULANGE'S  MAGNOLIA  (Magnolia  Soulangeana) 43 

*  JAPAN  WEEPING  CHERRY 45 

JAPANESE  MAGNOLIA  (Magnolia  stellata) 46 

ENGLISH  HAWTHORN  (Cralccgus  oxyacantha) 47 

ENGLISH  HAWTHORN  (Cratccgus  oxyacantha)      ...                   ...  48 

DEUTZIA  GRACILIS 49 

AZALEA  MOLLIS 49 

TREE  PEONY  (Paonia  arborea) 50 

COMMON  PURPLE  LILAC  (Syringa  vulgar  is) 51 

JAPANESE  MAPLE 58 

HORSE-CHESTNUT  TREES,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK 61 

RED-FLOWERING  HORSE-CHESTNUT  (sEscnhts  rubicunda) 62 

WHITE-FLOWERING  HORSE-CHESTNUT  (.-Esculus  rubicunda)      ....  63 

CHIONANTHUS  VIRGINICA 64 

RHODODENDRON 68 

PINXTER  FLOWER  (Azalea  nudijlora) 69 

BROAD-LEAVED  LAUREL  (Kalmia  latifolia) 69 

GORDON'S  MOCK  ORANGE  (Philadelphia  Gordonianus) 72 

*  From  a  photograph  taken  by  Mr.  Paul  Dana  from  a  specimen  on  the  lawn  of  Mr.  Charles  A. 
Dana,  Dosoris,  L.  I. 


vi  ILL  USTRA  TIONS. 


DEUTZIA  CRENATA,/.//. T2 

EXOCHORDA  GRANDIKLORA 73 

SWEET-SCENTED  SHRUB  (Cafycanthus  Floridus) 

YELLOW  JAPANESE  KERRIA  (A'erria  Japonica) 73 

RED-FLOWERING  WEIGELIA  ( IVeigelia  rosea) 74 

VIBURNUM  OPULUS 75 

FOUR  GOOD  CLEMATISES 7f> 

WISTARIA  SINENSIS 77 

WISTARIA  ARBOR,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK 79 

JAPAN  RAMAN  AS  ROSE  (Rosa  rugosa  rubrd) 81 

NOBLE  SILVER  FIR  (Abies  nobilis) §3 

AMERICAN  BEECHES  (Fagtis  ferruginea) 93 

DOUBLE-FLOWERING  ALTHEA  (Hibiscus  Syriacus,  Jl.  pi.) 99 

SWEET  PEPPER  BUSH  (Clethra  alnifolia) 100 

DWARF  FLOWERING  HORSE-CHESTNUT  TREES  (^sculus parvijtord)  .         .         .  101 

CHINESE  CYPRESS  (Glyplostrobus  sinensis) 102 

JAPAN  IVY  (Ampelopsis  tricuspidata 103 

DUTCHMAN'S  PIPE  (Aristolochia  sipho) 104 

SWEET-SCENTED  CLEMATIS  (Clematis  Jlatnmulo) 104 

TRUMPET  CREEPER  ( Tecoma  radicans] 105 

INDIAN  BEAN  (Catalpa  bignonioides] 108 

WEEPING  BEECH  (Fagus  sylvatica pendula) no 

WEEPING  BEECH  IN  WINTER m 

ELJEAGNUS  LONGIPES 112 

*  KENTUCKY  COFFEE-TREE 121 

*  LIQUID  AMBAR 125 

EUROPEAN  OLEASTER  (Elccagnus  hortensis) 127 

*  ORIENTAL  SPRUCE  (Picea  Orientalis) M1 

WEEPING  NORWAY  SPRUCE  AND  DWARF  PINE  (Picea  excelsa  inverta  and  Pinus 

slrobus  compactd) 143 

CEDAR  OF  LEBANON  (Cedrus  Libani) 144 

BHOTAN  PINE  (Pinus  excelsa)             145 

*  MUGHO  PINE  (Finns  mughus)           .         .         . 14? 

GINKGO  TREE,  IRISH  YEWS,  AND  WEEPING  SOPHORA 148 

*  JAPAN  PARASOL  PINE  (Sciadopilys  veriicillatd) 149 

*  OBTUSE-LEAVED  JAPANESE  CYPRESS  (Retinospora  oblusd)          .         .         .         -151 
PARSONS'  SILVER  FIR,  WEEPING  NORWAY  SPRUCE,  AND  WEEPING  LARCH        .  153 

HEART-LEAVED  SAXIFRAGE (Saxifraga  cordifolia) 158 

Moss  PlNK  (Phlox  subulatd) 1 59 

EUROPEAN  PASQUE-FLOWER  (Anemone pulsatilld) 160 

STEMLESS  GENTIAN  (Gentiana  acaulis) 161 

ALPINE  BARRENWORT  (Epimedimn  Alpinuni) 162 

ASTILBE  JAPONICA 163 

NOBLE  FUMITORY  (Corydalis  tiobilis] 163 

BLEEDING  HEART  (Dicenlra  spectabilis) 164 

*  From  a  photograph  taken  by  Mr.  Paul  Dana  from  a  specimen  on  the  lawn  of  Mr.  Charles  A. 
Dana,  Dosoris,  L.  I. 


ILL  USTRA  TIONS.  vii 


PACE 

SPRING  MEADOW  SAFFRON  {Bulbocodimn  vernuni) 165 

POET'S  NARCISSUS  (Narcissus  poetic  us) 166 

TRUMPET  MAJOR  (Narcissus  major) 166 

DAFFODIL  (Narcissus pseudo-narcissus)        ........  167 

FRAGRANT  JONQUIL  (ATarcissus  odorus) 167 

CROCUS  VERNUS iGS 

WINTER  ACONITES  (Eranthis  hyemalix) 168 

SNOWDROP  (Galanthus  nivalis) 169 

SCARLET  TURBAN  LILY  (Lilium  pomponiuni) 169 

CRUCIANELLA  STYLOSA .        .         .170 

LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY 171 

MAIDEN'S  PINK  (Dianlhus  deltoides),  AND  THE  NIEREMBERGIA  RIVULARIS  .         .172 

HERBACEOUS  PEONY  (Pxonia  officinalis) 173 

SLENDER-LEAVED  PEONY  (Paonia  tenuifolia,  Jl.  pi.) 174 

SEA  LAVENDER  (Slatice  lati folia) 174 

ROCK  TUNICA  ( Tunica  saxifraga) 175 

ACHII.LEA  PTARMICA 176 

YELLOW  ASPHODEL  (A sphodelus  lutetis) 176 

YELLOW  CHAMOMILE  (Anthemis  tinctoria) 177 

AMERICAN  SENNA  (Cassia  Marylandicd) 179 

GAS  PLANT  (Diclamnus  fraxinelld) 180 

GAILLARDIA  GRANDIFLORA 181 

GERANIUM  SANGUINEUM 182 

BOWMAN'S  ROOT  (Gillenia  trifoliata) 182 

PLANTAIN  LILY  (Funkia  ovata) 183 

GERMAN  IRIS  (Iris  Germanicd) 184 

LILIUM  AURATUM 184 

LILIUM  SPECIOSUM 185 

TURK'S-CAP  LILY  (Lilium  superbum} 185 

BUTTON  SNAKEROOT  (Liatris  spicata) 186 

DOUBLE  SCARLKT  LYCHNIS  (Lychnis  Chalcedonica,  fl.pl.) 186 

PURPLE  LOOSESTRIFE  (Lythrum  salicaria) 187 

PURPLE  FLOWERING  RASPBERRY  (Rubus  odoratus) 188 

PENTSTEMON  BARBATUS  (var.  Torreyi) 189 

LARGE  BELLFLOWER  (Platycodon  grandiflorum) 189 

MEADOW  SWEET  (Spircca  ulmaria) 190 

GENTIAN-LEAVED  SPEEDWELL  (Veronica  genlianoides) 190 

RED-HOT  POKER  (Triloma  uvaria) 192 

CARDINAL  FLOWER  (Lobelia  cardinalis) 193 

LEADWORT  (Plumbago  Larpenta-) 194 

STONE  CROP  (Sedum  acre) 195 

SEDUM  SPECTABILE 195 

COMPASS  PLANT  (Silphium  laciniatum) 196 

GOLDEN-ROD  (Solidago  Canadensis) 197 

NEW  YORK  IRON-WEED  (  Vernonia  Noveboracensis)    ......  197 

CHRISTMAS  ROSE  (Helleborus  niger) 198 

COBWEB  HOUSE-LEEK  (Sempervivum  arachnoideunt)            .....  198 


viii  ILL  USTRA  TIONS. 


HACK 

AUTUMN  CROCUS  (Colchicum  aulumnale) 199 

SINGLE  DAHLIAS •        •  J99 

GARDEN  PINK  (Dianlhus plumaritis) 203 

SWEET-WILLIAM  (Dianthus  barbalus) 203 

FALL  LARKSPUR  (Delphinium  elatum) 204 

SINGLE  HOLLYHOCKS 204 

COREOPSIS  LANCEOLATA 206 

PRIVATE  PLACE  AT  ORANGE,  N.  J.,  AS  LAID  OUT  BY  VAUX  &  Co.      .        .        .  207 

CANADA  COLUMBINE  (Aquilegia  Canadensis) 208 

ERIANTHUS  RAVENNA .209 

FESTUCA  GLAUCA 209 

STIPA  PENNATA 210 

HAREBELL  (Campanula  tenori} 211 

LIVER  LEAF  (Hepatica  Iriloba) 212 

JAPAN  WIND-FLOWER  (Anemone  yaponica — Honorine  Joubert)  .         .          .          .213 

BLUE  VIOLET 214 

WHITE  VIOLET 214 

PURPLE  FOXGLOVE  (Digitalis  purpured) 214 

ORIENTAL  POPPY  (Papaver  bracteatutri) 215 

JAPAN  IRIS  (Iris  Kampferi) 215 

DIAGRAM  OF  DECORATIVE  BED 218 

BED  OF  CANNAS,  COLEUSES,  AND  ACALYPHAS 220 

STUDY  FOR  BEDDING  OF  FOLIAGE  PLANTS  AGAINST  A  WALL      .        .        .        .221 

SWORD  LILY  (Gladiolus) 223 

DIAGRAM  OF  BEDDING  PLANTS 224 

PLAN  FOR  ELLIPTICAL  BEDS  FOR  MASSING  COLORS 226 

DOUBLE  GERANIUM 231 

SINGLE  GERANIUM 231 

SALVIA  SPLENDENS 233 

CANNA  INDICA 233 

BANANA  PLANT  (Musa  ensete) 234 

SOLANUM  WARSCEWICZIOIDES 235 

ELEPHANT  EAR  (Caladium  esculentuni) 235 

NEW  SINGLE  TULIPS 236 

GREEN-LEAVED  BAMBOO  (Arundo  donax) 242 

PAMPAS  GRASS  (Gynerium  argenteum)          ........  243 

EULALIA  (yaponica  zebrina) 244 

BORDER  OF    THE  FOUNTAIN,    UNION  SQUARE,    NEW   YORK,— LOTUSES  AND 

WATER-LILIES 245 

ARRANGEMENT  OF  LOTUSES  AND  LILY-PADS 247 

GROUP  OF  JAPANESE  LOTUSES  (Nelumbium  speciosum) 248 

ARRANGEMENT  OF  WATER-LILIES  AND  PAPYRUS 250 

CENTRE  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN,  UNION  SQUARE,  NEW  YORK 252 

BETHESDA  FOUNTAIN  BASIN,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK         ....  253 

SMALL  HOME  LAWN 259 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  LAWN-PLANTING 263 

A  STUDY  FOR  LAWN-PLANTING 267 


ILL  US TRA  TIONS.  ix 


PACK 

THE  MALL,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK 275 

*  THE  ISLAND,  NEAR  BRIDGE,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK       .        .        .        .279 
THE  CAVE  LANDING  ON  THE  LAKE,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK      .        .        .281 

NORTH  MEADOW,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK 283 

OVERHANGING  ROCK  NEAR  IIOTH   STREET  AND  SEVENTH  AVENUE,  CENTRAL 

PARK,  NEW  YORK 285 

A  GORGE  IN  CENTRAL  PARK 287 

A  CHURCH  LAWN 299 

A  BURIAL  PLOT 305 

*  From  a  photograph  taken  by  Mr.  E.  P.  Fowler. 


INTRODUCTION. 


N  presenting  to  the  reader  the  fol- 
lowing brief  and  unpretending  chap- 
ters, I  am  fully  aware  that  the 
subject  of  landscape  gardening  is 
receiving  at  my  hands  unsystematic 
and  insufficient  treatment.  At  the 
very  outset,  therefore,  I  wish  to  say 
that  the  principal  feeling  that  has 

inspired  the  present  undertaking  has  been  a  desire  to 
arouse,  by  simple  desultory  talks,  increased  enthusiasm  for 
lawn-making  among  men  of  moderate  means. 

Most  people  have  some  land,  or  can  in  this  country 
readily  get  it.  As  a  rule,  however,  they  accomplish  little 
towards  the  proper  development  of  the  landscape-garden- 
ing capabilities  of  such  land  as  they  have.  The  hired  man 
generally  advises  them  to  a  considerable  degree,  and  then 
carries  out  the  plans  agreed  upon,  without  much  let  or 
hindrance  from  the  employer,  or  comprehension  of  the  com- 
parative value  of  the  completed  work. 


xii  INTRODUCTION. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  nurserymen's  catalogues  furnish 
much  valuable  advice  concerning  the  best  methods  of 
growing  certain  plants,  as  well  as  extensive  lists  of  their 
various  species  and  varieties ;  but  this  cannot  be  considered 
an  adequate  or  even  an  attractive  way  of  treating  the  sub- 
ject of  landscape  gardening.  The  discussions  of  plants  are 
sufficiently  alluring,  I  will  acknowledge,  and  the  colored 
pictures  and  woodcuts  are  unquestionably  effective  in 
arresting  the  eye  and  securing  interest  of  a  certain  kind. 
In  a  word,  nurserymen's  catalogues  are  intended  for  one 
definite  purpose — namely,  that  of  tempting  the  reader  to 
purchase  plants,  and  to  that  end  they  are  admirably 
adapted.  To  the  development  of  a  sound  taste  for  the 
practice  of  genuine  landscape  gardening  these  catalogues 
can  of  course  contribute  comparatively  little.  And  yet  the 
material,  the  trees  and  shrubs,  they  discuss,  must  always 
form  an  important  and  very  essential  part  of  any  satisfac- 
tory treatise  on  landscape  gardening. 

On  the  other  hand,  to  write  such  works  as  those  of 
Price,  Gilpin,  Reptou,  and  Downing,  while  requiring  ability 
and  experience  of  a  high  order,  does  not  satisfy  what  seems 
to  me  a  particular  need  of  the  present  time.  Wealth  and 
taste  are  being  rapidly  diffused  among  all  classes.  The 
book,  therefore,  that  is  needed  for  this  purpose  is,  it  seems 
to  me,  one  that  will  stimulate  interest  in  an  inexpensive 
style  of  landscape  gardening  by  enunciating  a  few  prac- 
tical fundamental  principles,  and  giving  an  account  of  some 
examples  of  well  laid  out  grounds.  With  this,  should 
naturally  be  included  a  description  of  some  of  the  best 
lawn-plants. 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

My  chief  confidence  in  the  value  of  such  a  work  lies, 
I  confess,  chiefly  in  the  superior  effect  the  illustrations  may 
have  in  inspiring  interest  in  the  subject,  and  leading  the 
reader  to  pursue  his  investigations  farther  a-field.  I  have 
also  myself  lived  among  choice  ornamental  trees  all  my 
life,  and  had  the  opportunity  of  studying  many  examples  of 
landscape  gardening  in  numerous  more  or  less  professional 
visits  to  country-places  in  America.  My  position  of  Su- 
perintendent of  Parks  in  New  York  for  nearly  ten  years, 
moreover,  gives  some  additional  reasons  for  undertaking  to 
make  a  few  suggestions  and  notes  by  the  way  that  may  be 
helpful  to  others. 

The  first  chapter  that  I  propose  to  undertake  in  the 
series  of  what  should  be  termed  talks,  rather  than  serious 
discussions,  will  be  on  the  subject  of  the  actual  lawn  con- 
sidered by  itself.  Having  duly  considered  the  best 
methods  of  making  a  lawn,  and  arrived  at  the  final  convic- 
tion that  lawn-making  requires  considerable  practical 
knowledge  and  skill,  we  will  be  likely  to  meet  the  ques- 
tion, "  But  how  do  you  make  your  roads  ? "  To  this  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  reply:  "That,  although  I  have  arrived  at 
certain  conclusions  about  road-making,  I  do  not  deem  the 
subject  as  clearly  within  the  proper  scope  of  landscape 
gardening." 

Roadmaking  is  distinctly  within  the  province  of  the 
engineer,  and  all  over  the  civilized  world  the  subject  has 
been  exhaustively  treated  by  learned  experts,  who  have  set 
forth  their  views  in  prize  essays  and  more  extended 
treatises.  But  I  must  say  this  much,  earnestly  and  from 
an  experience  that  has  been  checkered  by  good  and  bad 


xiv  INTRODUCTION. 


results,  that  you  had  better  give  your  roads  only  enough 
curve  or  crown  to  shed  water  properly.  It  will  be  also 
found  in  many  places,  even  within  the  home  grounds,  that 
gutters  by  the  side  of  the  road  are  essential ;  and  invari- 
ably well-assorted  broken  stones  should  underlie  the  drive- 
way for  the  purpose  of  drainage.  With  the  additional  oft- 
quoted  remark  on  the  maintenance  of  roads,  that  "a  stitch 
in  time  saves  nine,"  I  shall  forego  all  further  talk  in  these 
pasres  about  the  construction  of  paths  and  roads. 

A       O  J- 

The  question  of  the  curves  or  course  of  paths  and 
roads,  in  relation  to  adjacent  lands  and  buildings,  is,  how- 
ever, a  legitimate  query  for  the  reader  to  make,  and  of  that 
I  shall  have  something  definite  to  say.  Roads  and  paths 
are,  it  must  be  confessed,  necessary  evils  that  add  no  land- 
scape beauty  to  the  place,  and  must  be  simply  tolerated 
because  they  are  needed  to  get  about  the  grounds.  In  de- 
vising the  location  and  course  of  roads  and  paths,  it 
becomes,  therefore,  our  duty  to  seek  to  minimize  their 
essential  ugliness,  and  to  contrive  how  to  manage  with  as 
few  of  them  as  possible. 

Constructing  lawns  and  laying  out  lines  of  paths  and 
roads  having  been  discussed,  the  plan  of  my  chapters  next 
induces  me  to  ask  the  readw  to  imagine  a  rough,  undulating 
country-place  with,  perhaps,  a  ravine  or  two  on  one  side  of 
it.  As  one  looks  at  the  natural  arrangement  of  rocks  on 
the  hillside  it  should  be  readily  apparent  that  the  treat- 
ment of  steep  and  sloping  grounds  needs  consideration  as 
well  as  that  of  the  more  level  lawns.  Trees,  shrubs,  flower 
gardens,  and  level  lawns, — every  one  knows  something  of 
them.  There  are  few,  however,  who  have  ever  given  seri- 


INTRODUCTION.  xv 

ous  thought  to  artificial  sloping  grounds  and  rockwork 
studied  from  natural  models  found  in  the  hills  about  us. 
Some  of  us  have  without  question  studied  such  work  in  Cen- 
tral Park,  New  York  City,  and  in  Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn, 
L.  I.  There  are,  of  course,  a  few  other  examples  in  the 
country  of  this  genuine  American  landscape  architecture, 
but  to  not  many,  I  fancy,  has  it  occurred  to  treat  sloping 
grounds  in  any  definite  and  specialized  way. 

I  used  the  term  American  landscape  architecture  advis- 
edly, for  my  words  in  these  chapters  are  chiefly  addressed  to 
inhabitants  of  America,  living  in  a  region  between  North 
Carolina  on  the  one  side  and  Maine  on  the  other,  and 
bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  prin- 
ciples and  general  theory  of  arranging  grounds  will  doubt- 
less be  much  the  same  the  world  over,  but  the  selection  and 
treatment  of  plants  must  vary  constantly.  The  plants  that 
do  well  in  this  part  of  North  America  will  not  necessarily 
succeed  in  England  and  on  the  Continent,  while  in  the  same 
latitude  in  California  the  same  trees  will  perhaps  fail  lamen- 
tably. 

Trees  and  shrubs  therefore  must  be  studied  carefully 
with  due  regard  to  their  environment,  and  in  these  chapters 
I  have  moreover  undertaken  to  classify  them  in  a  somewhat 
general  way  in  accordance  with  their  suitability  to  the  dif- 
ferent seasons.  I  contend  that  this  grouping  of  trees  and 
shrubs  is  not  sufficiently  looked  after  when  lawns  are  planted. 
On  Morningside  Park,  New  York,  for  instance,  a  whole 
hillside  is  systematically  planted,  on  account  of  their  rich 
color  in  autumn,  with  white  dogwood  (Cornus  florida),  An- 
dromeda arborea  for  Oxydendrum  arboreumj,  liquidambar, 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 


scarlet  maple,  sumach,  Rhus  Oslecki,  etc.  At  another  point 
many  spring-blooming  plants  are  massed,  and  throughout 
all  the  tree  and  shrub  groupings  come  more  or  less  spring-, 
summer-,  or  fall-blooming  kinds  scattered  about  at  frequent 
intervals.  In  regard  to  the  employment  of  bright-colored 
trees  and  shrubs,  such  as  Japanese  maples,  purple  beeches, 
and  golden  oaks,  it  is  important  to  say  that  self-restraint 
is  advisable.  Coloring  of  the  brightest  kind  is  valuable 
duly  and  properly  related  to  the  general  mass  of  the  foliage 
of  trees  and  shrubs.  The  color  scheme  of  tree  and  shrub 
plantation  should  be,  as  a  rule,  in  tones  of  green.  Subsidi- 
ary masses  may,  however,  have  yellowish  or  reddish  tones, 
and  even  a  main  mass  might  be,  in  some  cases,  attractively 
designed  with  only  purple  beech  or  golden  oak. 

It  seems  fitting  to  explain  here  what  I  consider  the 
proper  way  to  treat  shrubs  viewed  in  mass  and  viewed 
individually.  I  approach  this  question  with  some  hesi- 
tation, because  it  is  easy,  in  talking  of  such  matters,  to 
find  one's  self  landed  in  a  tangle  of  imprecise  phrases, 
such  as  mystery,  blending,  gardenesque,  picturesque,  etc., 
etc.  There  is  doubtless  a  particular  composition  that 
should  be  devised  for  every  landscape-gardening  picture, 
and  a  broad  comprehensive  scheme  of  a  high  order  of 
art  may  be  thus  unquestionably  established.  Foreground, 
middle-distance,  and  background  need  due  consideration, 
and  proper  relations  of  this  kind  may  be  unquestionably 
established.  Trees  may  be  massed  on  the  higher  levels,  and 
may  straggle  down  hillsides,  and  may  be  grouped  and  em- 
phasized at  certain  points  in  a  thoroughly  artistic  manner. 
The  stretches  of  lawn  and  vistas  of  trees  may  extend, 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 


seemingly,  to  great  distances  on  comparatively  small  places, 
and  many  charming  effects  and  surprises  in  variation  of 
sky-line  and  mystery  of  far-reaching  background  may  un- 
doubtedly be  contrived  with  success. 

Do  not  let  me  give  the  impression  that  I  question  the 
possibility  of  creating,  as  it  were,  all  these  delightful  feat- 
ures of  the  lawn.  Only,  and  here  I  will  speak  frankly  and 
from  considerable  experience,  do  not  undertake  too  much  of 
this  kind  of  thing  yourself ;  you  may  fail.  Trees  will  die 
when  they  have  grown  to  considerable  size  at  artistically 
critical  points,  or  they  will  fail  to  grow  to  just  the  height 
and  diameter  required,  and  a  weak  realization  of  the  desired 
effect  will  be  attained. 

But  to  return  to  the  question  of  treating  trees  and 
shrubs  considered  in  mass  and  considered  individually. 
The  tendency  of  those  who  think  of  the  trees  in  mass 
and  in  their  mass  relations,  is  to  crowd  them  too  much 
with  their  companions,  to  fail  to  comprehend  their  ap- 
pearance at  maturity,  and  thus  develop  their  proper  effect 
imperfectly.  Such  a  tendency  is  apt  to  "  crib  and  confine  " 
the  trees,  and  to  undertake  to  make  them  do  duty  after 
a  fashion  that  is  not  altogether  adapted  to  their  nature; 
that  is,  if  it  is  not  altogether  a  case  of  round  pegs  for 
square  holes,  to  force  them  just  a  little.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  person  who  dwells  specially  on  the  development  of  the 
individual  character  of  a  plant  is  liable  to  err  in  another 
way,  and  to  sacrifice  the  broad  effects  and  harmoniously 
combined  relations  of  trees  to  the  exhibition  of  characteris- 
tic and  highly  perfected  individual  excellences. 

For  most  lawns    a   middle   way  of   arrangement   may 


xviii  INTRODUCTION. 


be  pursued  with  reasonable  satisfaction  which  will  secure 
good  mass  effects  and  a  fair  consideration  for  the  character- 
istics of  individual  specimens.  There  will  be  the  open 
centre  of  lawn  grass  and  the  border  plantation  of  mixed 
trees  and  shrubs  and  herbaceous  plants  with  a  moderately 
diversified  sky-line.  Outlying  specimens  of  choice  trees  and 
shrubs  will  vary  the  outline  of  the  masses  here  and  there, 
and  perhaps  stand  alone  at  a  few  points  without  shrubs. 
Excessive  cribbing  and  confining  will  bo  prevented  by 
planting  the  trees  forty  to  fifty  feet  apart,  and  the  shrubs 
eight  to  ten  feet  apart,  with  small  ones  two  to  four  feet 
apart.  A  simple  negative  rule  for  the  arrangement  of 
trees,  shrubs,  and  herbaceous  plants  is  to  never  plant  them 
in  a  continuous  straight  line,  but  in  groups  with  curving 
boundaries  and  placed  on  the  specially  prepared  crests  of 
swelling  spots  or  portions  of  the  lawn.  Trees  and  shrubs 
thus  placed  are  favorably  exhibited  and  enabled  to  show 
their  peculiar  beauties  better  than  on  a  flat  surface. 

There  are  a  few  simple  things  pertaining  to  landscape 
gardening,  such  as  irregular  sky-lines  and  border  lines  of 
shrub  and  tree  groups,  open  lawn  centres,  and  boundary 
plantations,  attention  to  which  will  be  likely  to  secure  a 
pleasing  effect,  even  though  one  foregoes  any  attempt  to 
realize  the  higher  and  more  subtle  features  of  the  art.  An- 
other way  to  simplify  and,  to  my  mind,  greatly  improve  the 
arrangement  of  trees  and  shrubs  is  to  group  a  lot  of  one 
kind  of  plants  together,  a  hundred  Spircea  opulifolia  here, 
fifty  Spircea  Thunbergii  there,  and  so  on.  It  is  a  large  and 
specially  effective  method  of  treatment,  and  really  easy  of 
accomplishment. 


INTR  OD  UCTION.  xix 

Where  a  junction  of  two  paths  or  roads  is  made,  this 
method  of  arrangement  looks  well,  for  a  considerable  plan- 
tation should  be  here  so  contrived  as  to  cover  all  points  of 
connection  and  give  the  impression  of  an  unseen  way 
through  a  large  grove  or  group.  The  question  of  shade 
and  shade  trees  is  one  that  must  never  be  ignored.  No 
landscape  art  can  afford  to  slight  the  practical  necessity  for 
shade.  All  along,  and  about  twenty  feet  from  the  drives 
and  walks,  and  not  less  than  fifty  feet  from  the  house,  shade 
trees,  elms,  maples,  etc.,  should  stand  at  distances  of  from 
fifty  to  seventy-five  feet  from  each  other.  But  beware  of, 
in  this  way,  encroaching  on  the  open  centre  lawns.  Noth- 
ing can  be  a  worse  practice  in  landscape  gardening. 

I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  of  pruning  hereafter 
specifically,  but  I  desire  to  say  in  a  general  way  here  that 
self-restraint  in  pruning  is  a  good  habit  to  acquire.  To  cut 
and  chop  trees  and  shrubs  every  year  may  be  a  more  perni- 
cious practice  than  to  leave  them  entirely  alone.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  what  we  want  in  a  tree  or  shrub  is  to  see  its 
special  and  most  characteristic  beauty.  If  it  naturally 
weeps  or  spreads,  or  is  pyramidal,  we  want  to  see  that 
special  peculiarity  naturally  developed  and  not  pruned  into 
some  monotonous  semi-artificial  shape.  Rather  if  it  be 
symmetrically  inclined,  lop  off  a  branch  here  and  there  to 
emphasize  its  symmetrical  habit ;  if  it  be  weeping,  increase 
its  weeping  habit  by  cutting  away  shoots  that  may  show 
an  upright  tendency.  If  it  be  an  early-blooming  shrub,  do 
not  cut  off  the  already  formed  flower  buds  in  winter  simply 
because  that  season  happens  to  be  the  natural  season  for 
pruning  wood,  whether  bud-bearing  or  not.  Let  the  spent 


XX 


INTRODUCTION. 


flowering  wood  be  removed  as  in  the  case  of  Forsyifiic^  as 
soon  as  the  plant  has  done  blooming,  thus  relieving  the 
interior  of  the  plant  from  being  clogged,  and  paving  the 
way  for  increased  abundance  and  beauty  of  flowers  the 
following  spring.  Generally  speaking,  it  might  be  said  that 
trees  and  shrubs  do  not  really  require  pruning  at  all,  except 
the  removal  of  dead  and  deformed  portions  of  the  growth. 

As  regards  the  selection  of  trees  and  shrubs  given  in 
these  chapters  I  have  to  say  that,  although  it  comprises  a 
comparatively  small  list,  it  yet  includes  a  number  of  the 
best  kinds  as  well  as  such  as  in  most  cases  can  be  readily 
obtained  from  leading  tree  and  plant  growers.  I  have 
endeavored  to  point  out  in  every  case  the  peculiar  attrac- 
tions that  render  the  plants  suited  to  the  lawn,  and  have 
avoided  as  much  as  practicable  all  technical  botanical  terms 
that  might  be  puzzling  to  the  reader.  Every  one  should 
know  these  plants  intimately,  know  them  as  friends  that  he 
ought  to  see  every  day  on  his  lawn.  And  it  is  in  the  office 
of  such  house  friends,  as  the  Germans  would  say,  that  I 
have  endeavored  to  consider  them. 

My  statements  concerning  the  hardiness  and  time  of 
blooming  of  plants  must  not  be  taken  as  absolutely  precise. 
I  can  only  offer  the  general  conclusions  of  my  individual 
experience.  Nature  performs  strange  freaks.  A  plant  may 
bloom  three  weeks  later  next  year  than  it  did  this,  or  two 
shrubs  may  have  bloomed  at  the  same  time  last  year  and 
this  year  one  may  flower  a  week  earlier  than  the  other. 

The  same  varying  rule  applies  to  the  hardiness  of  plants. 
For  years  we  will  find  a  certain  variety,  say  of  rhododen- 
drons, hardy,  and  then  will  come  a  peculiar  season,  when  a 


INTRODUCTION.  xxi 

number  of  what  we  have  previously  considered  tender 
kinds  will  survive,  and  the  heretofore  entirely  hardy  one 
will  go.  In  judging  and  determining  the  value  and  pe- 
culiarities of  a  variety  in  any  given  locality  we  must  be 
governed  by  the  conclusions  of  a  very  considerable  experi- 
ence and  then  be  prepared  for  occasional  and  startling 
surprises. 

In  the  discussion  of  foliage  bedding  and  the  use  of  hardy 
herbaceous  perennials,  I  have  endeavored  to  give  a  dis- 
tinctly formulated  system  based  on  the  fundamental  and 
general  principles  of  landscape  gardening ;  and  to  simplify 
their  treatment  and  make  it  as  definite  and  precise  as  pos- 
sible. The  illustration  of  the  herbaceous  bedding  treat- 
ment is  to  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  "  Grandmother's  Gar- 
den." I  should  like  very  much  to  recommend  more  highly 
the  use  of  hardy  herbaceous  plants  in  rockwork,  on  edges 
of  lawns,  in  the  long  grass,  and  especially  in  shady  woods. 
They  are  veiy  charming  in  such  places,  but  it  is  not  easy  to 
manage  them,  and  they  will  require  much  renewing.  And 
that  reminds  me  to  say  that  the  reason  why  many  planta- 
tions of  hardy  herbaceous  perennials  grow  beautifully  less 
in  flower  and  foliage  year  by  year  is  that  they  need  renew- 
ing. Once  in  three  or  four  years  many  of  the  plants  of 
herbaceous  borders  should  be  taken  up,  divided  and  set  out 
again,  and  in  spots  where  any  of  them  have  died,  new  ones 
planted. 

After  discussing  trees,  shrubs,  herbaceous  perennial 
plants,  and  bedding  plants,  which  constitute  the  material 
of  landscape  gardening,  I  have  undertaken  to  set  forth  in  a 
few  sketches  drawn  from  the  resources  of  personal  experi- 


XX11 


INTRODUCTION. 


ence,  the  best  way  to  use  this  material.  There  are  doubt- 
less many  other  landscape-gardening  problems  to  be  solved 
and  other  kinds  of  grounds  to  be  laid  out  than  those  indi- 
cated in  these  chapters,  but  I  think,  however,  that  a  num- 
ber of  the  most  constantly  recurring  ones  have  been  fairly 
considered. 

Before  concluding  this  introduction  I  desire  to  express 
my  obligation  for  assistance  in  preparing  these  chapters  to 
Mr.  Calvert  Vaux,  Landscape  Architect  of  the  Department 
of  Public  Parks,  New  York,  to  Mr.  George  C.  Woolson, 
Superintending  Gardener  of  the  Park  Department,  and  to 
Mr.  J.  Francois  Huss,  General  Foreman  of  Construction 
Work  in  the  Park  Department. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  illustrations  I  am  greatly  in- 
debted to  Mr.  Paul  Dana,  Commissioner  of  the  Department 
of  Public  Parks,  New  York,  for  the  loan  and  reproduction 
of  seven  excellent  photographs,  taken  by  himself,  from  the 
unsurpassed  tree  specimens  growing  on  his  father's,  Mr. 
Charles  A.  Dana's,  great  countiy-place  at  Dosoris,  L.  I. 
An  excellent  photograph  of  an  island  in  the  lake,  Central 
Park,  New  York,  is  also  reproduced  with  the  permission  of 
Dr.  E.  P.  Fowler. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    LAWN. 

the  minds  of  most  readers  the  lawn 
suggests  simply  grass.  We  say  we 
will  walk  on  the  lawn,  and  the 
thought  of  soft,  velvety,  newly  cut 
grass  immediately  arises.  In  an 
ordinary  sense,  the  lawn  includes 
trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  rocks,  etc., 
but  in  actual  fact,  I  believe,  the 

idea  of  mown  grass  is  first  and  foremost  in  the  mind  when 
the  word  lawn  is  used.  I  am  therefore  going  to  limit  my 
remarks  to  the  more  or  less  level  grass  spaces  that  are  open 
and  agreeable  to  those  who  care  to  wander  over  their  close- 
cut  surface. 

Among  shrubs,  rocks,  and  flowers,  one  should  not,  and 
would  not  be  likely  to  care  to  wander.  Here  the  grass 
would  be  naturally  allowed  to  grow  longer,  and  the  inter- 
lacing branches  and  irregular  grass  surface  would  impede 
progress.  The  open  close-cut  grass  space  is,  moreover,  the 
lawn  proper  for  all  purposes  of  occupation. 


THE  LAWN. 


During  hot  weather,  when  it  is  not  actually  raining,  we 
confine  ourselves  to  the  foot-paths  or  carriage-roads  of  the 
place  where  gravel,  stone,  boards,  or  asphalt  afford  safe 
and  convenient  promenade  almost  immediately  after  a  down- 
fall of  rain.  Later  on,  however,  when  the  sun  comes  out 
and  dries  up  the  moisture,  we  may  enjoy  perhaps  for  days, 
in  the  American  climate,  the  great  open  spaces  of  green- 
sward, which  we  propose  to  call  the  lawn.  Here,  in  a 
sense,  the  family  may  be  said,  during  certain  seasons,  to  live 
for  a  large  portion  of  the  time.  As  soon  as  the  dew  is  off, 
should  there  be  any,  some  elder  member  of  the  family  will 
be  found  wandering  about,  looking  for  flowers,  or  simply 
breathing  the  fresh  morning  air.  Soon  little  children  dash 
out,  chasing  butterflies  or  tumbling  over  each  other  in 
simple  glee  of  existence,  revelling  in  the  feeling  of  the  rich, 
soft,  thick  turf.  Later,  perhaps,  comes  a  game  of  ball  or 
tag  among  the  older  boys,  which  can  only  be  played  satis- 
factorily on  the  lawn.  Finally,  in  the  evening,  at  sunset, 
and  later,  the  family  may  again  linger  on  the  lawn  to  enjoy 
the  soft  turf  and  long  shadows  on  the  greensward. 

The  pleasures  of  sight,  and  varied  movement,  it  is  ac- 
knowledged, are  increased  a  hundred-fold  by  the  studied 
comfort  and  adornment  of  the  house  itself  in  the  special 
features  of  carpets,  and  walls,  and  chairs,  and  tables.  Why 
should  we  not  then  seek  to  extend  the  sphere  of  our  artistic 
endeavor  to  perfecting  and  ornamenting  our  lawns  ?  It 
should,  after  all,  be  considered  as  much  a  part  of  the  house 
domain  as  the  verandah. 

Feeling  the  importance,  therefore,  of  making  the  lawn  a 
place  for  the  family  to  occupy,  as  though  it  were  a  part  of  the 


THE  LA  WN. 


actual  house,  I  am  going  to  try  to  tell  the  reader  just  how  to 
go  to  work  to  make  his  lawn  so  that  it  can  be  actually  used 
as  well  as  looked  at.  In  this  country  especially,  we  see  a 
great  many  poor  lawns  and  very  few  good  ones,  and  a  poor 
lawn  should  be  considered  as  inexcusable  a  home-feature 
as  a  ragged  or  soiled  carpet.  We  often  fail  to  make  good 
roads  and  walks,  and  tree  and  shrub  plantations,  but  we 
more  often  fail  to  make  good  lawns. 

The  reason  for  this  may  b'e  found  in  the  fact  that  when 
we  make  a  road  or  walk  of  gravel,  or  asphalt,  or  other  arti- 
ficial material,  we  generally  have  a  clear  idea  of  the  result 
we  shall  attain  ;  when  we  plant  trees  we  can  foresee,  with 
some  degree  of  certainty,  what  their  future  comparatively 
unhampered  growth  will  be,  but,  least  of  all,  does  this  apply 
to  lawns,  as  lawns  are  usually  made  in  this  country  to-day. 

I  do  not  propose  in  my  present  remarks  to  allow  myself 
to  be  drawn,  however,  into  the  fascinating  discussion,  intro- 
duced by  Mr.  James  B.  Olcott,  of  the  Connecticut  Agricul- 
tural Experiment  Station,  concerning  the  use  of  selected 
pieces  of  pure  grass  sod  for  making  lawns.  Experiments  in 
this  direction  may,  and  doubtless  will,  finally  enable  us  to 
make  lawns  possessing  a  beauty  and  durability  under  the 
stress  of  daily  occupation,  of  which  we  have  little  concep- 
tion at  present. 

But  I  will  say  now  and  here,  that  sad  experience  has 
proved  long  ago  that  want  of  pure  grass  seed,  and  the  right 
variety  of  grass  seed,  is  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  failure 
and  uncertainty  of  lawns.  Seedsmen  cannot  furnish  pure 
grass  seed,  because  no  one  grows  pure  grass  seed,  and  cer- 
tainly not  the  best  sorts  of  seed  for  making  good  greensward. 


THE  LA  WN. 


But  in  order  to  make  the  best  greensward  that  we  can 
reasonably  expect  to  obtain,  in  view  of  the  practice  of  the 
present  day,  let  us  take  an  ordinary  piece  of  ground  in  the 
rough,  covered  with  stones,  wild  turf,  and  weeds.  It  must 
not  be  an  extreme  case  of  sand  or  clay.  Special  ways  of 
treatment  would  have  to  be  devised  for  these,  and  we  might 
imagine  fifty  cases,  each  of  which  would  require  a  different 
mode  of  treatment.  We  had  better,  therefore,  confine  our- 
selves to  an  average  or  ordinary  example  of  the  way  to 
make  a  lawn.  This  supposition  would  include  a  moderately 
heavy  loam,  some  stone,  and  many  weeds. 

The  first  thing  to  be  considered  in  such  cases  is  the 
drainage ;  I  mean  the  drainage  of  the  lawn,  and  not  of  the 
roads.  People  are  apt  to  stop  when  they  have  drained  their 
roads  and  walks,  and  forget  that  the  lawn  requires  such  a 
thing  as  drainage. 

I  am  not,  however,  going  to  linger  much  on  this  ques- 
tion, supremely  important  though  it  be  to  many  lawns. 
The  fact  is,  our  average  lawn  does  not  need  any  drainage, 
except  where  in  some  limited  spot  water  is  apt  to  lie  a  part 
of  the  year.  In  such  cases,  drains  of  horse-shoe,  or  four- 
inch  round  tile,  should  be  laid  to  some  main  drain,  or  open 
gutter  along  a  road  or  street.  No  doubt  there  are  cases  of 
only  moderately  heavy  loam,  where  the  moisture  sticks  and 
lingers,  in  an  undue  degree,  and  here  under-drainage  is 
needed.  Under-drainage  on  ordinary  lawns  will  be  only  re- 
quired in  limited  areas,  that  is  in  valleys  or  hollows  made 
by  the  lay  of  the  land. 

This  question  of  under-drainage  once  settled  and  rele- 
gated to  the  realm  of  scientific  treatises,  to  which  this  book 


THE  LAWN. 


does  iiot  purport  to  belong,  we  should  also  point  out  that  it 
is  necessary  to  so  grade  the  lawn  as  to  properly  distribute 
the  surface  water. 

What,  then,  is  the  first  thing  to  be  done  to  our  lawn  in 
the  rough  after  the  problems  of  under-drainage  and  surface 
distribution  of  water  have  been  disposed  of  ?  Why,  sim- 
ply to  cart  off  the  stones  and  cut  down  the  weeds  with  a 
scythe.  The  ground  thus  roughly  cleaned,  the  next  thing 
is  to  plow  it  up  or  spade  it  at  least  a  foot  deep.  If  the 
subsoil  is  not  actually  sandy,  it  will  be  well  to  go  farther 
down.  Deep  culture  is  of  great  value  to  a  lawn.  It  en- 
sures better  resistance  to  droughts  and  a  more  even  and 
luxuriant  growth  of  grass. 

I  am  coming  now  to  a  point  that  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance to  the  development  of  a  good  lawn,  and  that  is 
the  removal  of  all  weeds,  stones,  and  roots  from  the  soil  to 
a  foot  or  more  in  depth.  On  the  proper  removal  and  burn- 
ing of  these  weeds  and  roots  the  ultimate  success  of  the 
lawn  largely  depends.  Once  plowing,  raking,  forking,  and 
burning  may  not  suffice ;  twice  may  not,  and  even  three 
times  may  not,  but  no  matter  how  many  may  be  needed, 
they  must  be  given.  Deep  and  thorough  culture  is  a  neces- 
sity to  a  lawn,  absolute  and  fundamental.  There  is  no 
cause,  perhaps,  more  prolific  of  bad  lawns  than  poor  culture. 
I  care  not  what  tools  you  use,  plow  or  spade  (ordinarily 
the  plow  should  suffice),  tilth  and  cleanness  of  soil  you  must 
have.  By  cleanness,  of  course,  I  mean,  at  the  best,  approxi- 
mate cleanness,  for  millions  of  embryo  seeds  must  lurk 
in  most  soils,  clean  them  as  often  as  you  will.  But  if  you 
will  clean  them  again  and  again,  by  plowing  and  raking, 


THE  LA  WN. 


you  will  find  that  the  young  grass  will  get  a  better  chance 
to  occupy  the  ground  with  their  root  feeders  before  the 
roots  of  the  weeds  enter  in  and  take  possession. 

Having  accomplished  the  plowing  and  cleaning,  the 
next  thing  is  to  do  the  grading.  Now  the  grading  is  a 
nice  operation,  which  requires  not  only  a  good  knowledge 
of  landscape  gardening  but  an  intuitive,  artistic  conception 
of  the  best  effect  that  can  be  produced  under  existing  cir- 
cumstances. It  is  not  easy  to  convey  any  broad  and  gener- 
ally reliable  suggestions  on  this  subject,  so  much  depends 
on  individual  surroundings  and  peculiarities  of  position. 
However,  I  will  endeavor  to  convey  some  idea  of  what 
I  mean. 

In  the  first  place,  the  reader  may,  for  instance,  fancy 
himself  at  his  front  door-step  as  the  most  important  point 
from  which  he  should  view  his  lawn.  From  this  point  he 
must  look  on  the  view  as  a  picture  with  an  open  centre  and 
boundary  enclosure,  the  lawn  being,  for  convenience  of 
illustration,  the  open  centre,  and  the  trees,  shrubs,  and 
flowers  the  boundary  enclosure.  I  insist  upon  this  illustra- 
tion because  I  want  it  understood  that  the  lawn  is  to  be 
open  ;  there  may  be  allowed  a  few  outlying  trees  and 
shrubs  and  flowers,  but  the  lawn  is  to  be  practically  open, 
closely  cut  greensward,  suitable  for  people  to  walk  about 
on  and  children  to  play  on  without  obstruction.  If  this 
end  is  not  accomplished,  I  consider  the  lawn  a  failure. 

Looking  from  the  front  door-steps,  we  must  first  con- 
sider our  lawn  as  a  comparatively  flat  surface — in  a  word, 
as  level.  Of  course  nature  does  nothing  stiffly  or  on  abrupt 
or  rigid  lines.  Her  work  is  one  of  infinite  gradations  or 


THE  LA  WN. 


shadings.  What  appears  to  us  as  level  at  a  little  distance, 
when  we  approach  it  may  prove  to  be  a  gentle  swell. 

As  we  walk  over  a  natural  vale,  or  lawn — if  I  may  be 
allowed  the  term, — we  find  a  continual  change  in  the  grade 
of  the  surface.  If  we  should  attempt  to  make  level  an 
artificial  lawn  we  could  not  do  it.  We  would  only  succeed 
in  making  stiff  lines  and  awkward  transitions  of  grade. 
At  the  outset,  therefore,  long,  swelling,  easy  lines  of  grade 
should  be  sought.  For  the  better  effect  of  the  boundary 
enclosure  of  trees  and  shrubs  and  flowers,  the  lawn  should 
be  made  hollowing,  and  for  the  better  enjoyment  of  those 
walking  over  its  surface,  this  hollowing  should  be  easy  and 
closely  approaching  the  level. 

It  is  evident  that  this  theory  of  grading  will  apply 
equally  well  to  ground  sloping  down  or  up  from  the  front 
of  the  house,  only  the  general  slope  should  be  not  too  steep 
or  the  pleasure  of  walking  on  it  will  be  diminished.  I 
shall  speak  of  this  further  when  I  consider  the  treatment  of 
sloping  grounds  that  cannot  be  properly  termed  lawns.  I 
desire  to  say  that  so  important  do  I  consider  it  that  all 
lawns  should  be  in  part  at  least  more  or  less  level  that  I 
would  be  willing  in  grading  to  remove  a  large  amount  of 
earth  entirely,  or  mound  it  up  at  the  front  along  the  road  or 
at  the  sides,  in  order  to  secure  this  level  lawn  effect.  The 
sense  of  the  repose,  comfort,  and  beauty  associated  with  the 
idea  of  a  lawn  disappears  when  it  grows  steep. 

Let  me  say,  however,  that  I  do  not  wish  to  indicate  that 
the  lawn  should  be  made  only  in  front  of  the  house.  It 
may  be  even  better  arranged  at  the  back  of  the  house.  All 
considerable  lawns  are  improved  by  isolating  from  them  the 


THE  LA  WN. 


carriage  drives  and  even  the  foot-paths.  The  most  agreea- 
ble way  of  arranging  a  house  and  grounds,  if  convenience  will 
permit  it,  is  to  have  the  drives  and  walks  come  in  from  the 
highway,  merely  turning  about  a  small  grass  plot.  With 
the  hall  and  kitchen  and  other  business  parts  of  the  house 
on  this  side,  it  is  desirable  then  to  have  the  library  and 
living  rooms  open  out  on  the  main  lawn,  and  if  possible  the 
finest  view.  You  have  thus  the  best  part  of  the  home 
grounds  to  yourself  undisturbed  by  carriages  or  undesirable 
foot  passengers. 

Seclusion  and  the  shutting  in  of  the  lawn  as  part  of  the 
actual  home  has  always  a  peculiar  charm  of  its  own.  I 
would  not,  as  a  rule,  emulate  the  strict  exclusiveness  of  our 
English  brethren  who,  in  so  many  cases,  shut  themselves  in 
with  great  stone  walls,  but  I  would  fence  myself  round 
about  in  some  way.  I  would  surround  the  home  lawns  with 
masses  of  trees  and  shrubs,  and  so  dispose  the  main  lawn 
in  connection  with  the  house  as  to  make  it  my  own  special 
and  peculiar  domain. 

Having  plowed,  cleaned,  and  roughly  graded  the  lawn 
into  a  comparatively  level,  gently  swelling  surface,  the  next 
thing  is  to  cover  it  over  with  a  heavy  coat  of  rich  manure, 
twenty-five,  thirty,  forty,  fifty  loads  to  the  acre.  Spread  it 
on  liberally,  all  you  can  get  under,  provided  it  is  well 
decomposed.  Use  thoroughly  decayed  composted  stable 
manure  if  you  can  get  it ;  if  not,  bone-dust,  wood-ashes, 
superphosphate  of  lime,  nitrate  of  ammonia,  etc. 

What  is  required  in  the  manure  is  plenty  of  ammonia, 
then  phosphoric  acid,  lime,  soda,  potash,  and  magnesia,  etc., 
but  when  you  use  these  salts  of  soda,  potash,  etc.,  as  con- 


THE  LA  WN.  9 


centrated  fertilizers,  you  may  happen  not  to  apply  them  in 
proper  quantities.  Bone-dust  acts  slowly  on  grass  lands, 
though  well,  and  so  does  wood-ashes  with  its  phosphates 
and  potash  salts,  but  stable  manure,  with  the  one  drawback 
of  sometimes  bringing  in  foul  weeds,  seems  to  act  more 
quickly  and  at  the  same  time  as  permanently  as  any  other 
fertilizer.  People  try  everything  else,  but  come  back  to  the 
properly  composted  heap  of  barnyard  manure,  with  the  feel- 
ing that  therein  lies  their  true  source  of  strength  for  creating 
permanently  rich  grass  lands.  There  is  doubtless  a  large 
percentage  of  a  load  of  stable  manure  that  is  of  little  use  to 
the  land,  but  the  application  of  fifty  loads  of  manure  to  an 
acre  seems  to  present  the  nutriment  in  a  form  and  combina- 
tion that  will  do  the  land  the  most  good.  There  is  not 
much  scientific  theory  in  these  suggestions  about  manuring 
lawns,  I  know,  but  you  will  find  it  is  plain  common-sense. 
Experiment  with  artificial  manures  all  you  can,  but  let  it  be 
at  first  on  a  small  scale,  and  it  will  repay  your  trouble  by 
the  information  gained  as  to  what  your  special  soil  actually 
needs.  Do  the  bulk  of  your  fertilizing  with  barnyard 
manure  and  your  average  results  will  be  satisfactory  ;  then 
if  your  other  experiments  develop  some  peculiar  need  of 
your  soil,  you  can  give  up  the  barnyard  manure,  and  use  for 
a  while  some  concentrated  special  fertilizer. 

Now  that  your  land  is  graded,  and  the  surface  covered 
with  fertilizing  material,  the  next  thing  is  to  dig  or  plow 
lightly  the  entire  surface  of  the  ground  and  .then  harrow 
and  hand-rake  it  thoroughly,  and  remove  again  entirely  all 
stones,  roots,  and  foul  weeds  that  come  to  the  surface.  It  is 
wonderful  how  these  stones,  roots,  and  weeds,  crop  out  with 


10  THE  LA  WN. 


repeated  plowing,  harrowing,  and  raking.  The  supply  seems 
in  many  soils  unlimited.  As  I  have  said,  however,  already, 
thoroughness  in  such  work  is  of  vital  importance  to  the 
success  of  the  lawn.  The  raking  is  of  importance,  more- 
over, to  secure  fine  pulverizing  of  the  top  soil  intended  to 
receive  the  grass  seed. 

But  the  question  that  now  arises  is,  what  kind  of  grass 
seed  shall  be  used  ?  The  seedsman  will  give  you  a  mixture 
of  lawn  grass  seed,  and  if  the  business  firm  be  reputable,  it 
will  doubtless  produce  fair  results.  Let  us,  however,  look 
a  little  closer  into  the  matter.  I  have  said  that  very  little 
conception  generally  exists  of  the  actual  appearance  of  any 
lawn  that  is  in  process  of  construction,  that  is,  that  has  been 
recently  sown.  And  in  considering  this  question  of  the 
best  kind  of  grass  seed,  we  begin  to  realize  the  truth  of  this 
assertion. 

In  the  first  place,  grass  seed  of  any  kind  can  be  seldom 
secured  reasonably  pure.  Any  seedsman,  if  he  be  candid, 
will  tell  you  that.  He  will,  doubtless,  say  in  addition,  what 
is  true,  that  grass  seed  is  a  great  deal  cleaner  now  than  it 
was  a  few  years  ago.  Better  methods  of  cleaning  grass 
seed  have  been  devised,  and  more  pains  are  taken  to  secure 
this  desirable  result.  But  the  question  still  remains,  what 
kind  of  grass  seed  shall  we  use  ?  There  are,  as  all  persons 
at  all  acquainted  with  grasses  know,  hundreds  of  varieties, 
many,  very  many  that  are  not  named  in  the  catalogues  of 
seedsmen. 

Of  these,  one  perhaps  is  best  suited  to  this  particular 
soil,  and  on  the  next  field  another  is  required.  This  one 
does  well  here,  that  kind  dies  out  there.  What  are  we  to 


THE  LAWN.  11 


do  ?  It  is  verily  a  puzzle.  And  then  after  all,  we  cannot 
hope  to  get  really  pure  seed  of  the  kind  we  select  at  last. 
We  sow  it,  and  with  it  will  spring  up  some  unknown  grass 
or  weed  that  will  destroy  entirely  the  effect  we  have 
expected. 

Grass  sods  of  some  pure,  rich-looking,  and  permanent 
variety  might  be  used  with  success,  but  where  are  they  to 
be  obtained  in  quantities  ?  To  make  a  lawn  with  grass 
sod  would  be  more  expensive  than  with  grass  seed,  but  if 
selected  grass  sod  could  be  obtained,  it  would  doubtless 
produce  far  better,  more  enduring  and  attractive  results. 
In  view,  however,  of  the  entire  lack  at  present  of  nurseries 
or  plots  of  the  right  kind  of  sod,  we  are  obliged  to  fall  back 
on  the  ordinary  grass  seeds  that  can  be  purchased  of  repu- 
table seedsmen  at  the  present  time. 

In  the  first  place,  when  you  go  to  the  seedsman  do  not 
buy  a  lawn  grass  mixture.  Do  the  mixing  yourself  if  there 
is  to  be  any.  It  will  be  cheaper  and  better.  Secondly  and 
lastly,  limit  yourself  to  two  or  three  kinds  that  are  likely  to 
grow  well  in  the  particular  kind  of  soil  you  expect  to  sow. 
There  is  a  prevailing  desire  to  sow  white  clover  on  the  lawn. 
Now  I  contend  that  white  clover  is  out  of  place  on  the 
lawn.  To  me  a  greensward  of  red  top  or  Kentucky 
blue  grass  is  always  more  attractive  than  one  mottled  with 
white  clover. 

Then  as  to  the  mixture  of  grasses,  there  is,  to  my  mind, 
a  great  deal  of  current  error.  Why  not  select  a  strong,  vig- 
orous variety  that  grows  tolerably  thick-set,  and  sow  that 
only.  If  you  sow  twenty  other  kinds,  they  will  all  proba- 
bly be  run  out  in  a  few  years  by  this  and  some  other  strong- 


12  THE  LA  WN. 


growing  variety  that  may  come  in  by  accident.  The 
important  thing  is  to  secure  a  variety  that  will  spring  up 
vigorously  and  take  possession  of  the  soil  before  other  less 
attractive  grasses  and  weeds  occupy  the  ground. 

In  order  to  accomplish  this,  we  may  be  even  obliged  to 
select  a  somewhat  coarse  variety.  On  the  lawns  of  Central 
Park,  for  instance,  a  great  deal  of  Kentucky  blue  grass  has 
been  used,  not  because  it  is,  by  any  means,  the  most  attrac- 
tive of  grasses,  but  because  it  is  vigorous  and  holds  its  own 
even  on  sandy  ground,  and  makes  a  fairly  good-looking  sod. 
This  kind  and  herds'  grass,  or  red  top,  form  the  staple  of 
most  lawn-grass  mixtures  used  in  the  United  States.  Rhode 
Island  bent  grass  is  highly  valued  by  many,  and  makes  an 
excellent  sod,  particularly  in  a  moist  climate.  Red  top  in 
a  sandy  soil  is  apt  to  die  off  in  droughts  occurring  just  after 
germination.  Its  first  growth  is  not,  in  such  cases,  quite 
vigorous  enough,  although  the  quality  of  the  sod  it  produces 
is  much  finer  than  that  of  Kentucky  blue  grass.  Another 
objection  to  red  top  seed  is  its  general  impurity  as  found 
in  the  market. 

Having  secured  our  seed,  such  as  it  is,  the  next  question 
is,  in  what  quantities  and  how  shall  we  sow  it  ?  Again  comes 
in  the  question  of  the  quality  of  soil,  its  comparative  moist- 
ure, and  its  cleanness.  Under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances a  large  proportion  of  the  seed  sown  will  fail  to 
germinate.  It  is  therefore  wise  to  sow  grass  seed  liberally. 
The  price  of  grass  seed  is  comparatively  low.  I  have  con- 
sequently not  hesitated  to  use,  in  some  cases,  six  bushels 
of  Kentucky  blue  grass  or  red  top  to  the  acre,  although 
seedsmen  only  advise  two  or  three.  The  art  of  sowing 


THE  LAWN.  13 


grass  seed  properly  requires  some  experience  to  acquire. 
The  great  difficulty  is  to  sow  it  evenly.  Like  mowing  and 
other  farming  operations,  it  takes  trouble  to  learn  how  to 
sow  grass  seed  properly.  You  must  get  up  early  in  the 
morning  before  the  wind  has  risen.  You  must  consider  the 
direction  from  which  the  wind  blows  and  do  a  good  many 
things  that  can  hardly  be  set  down  intelligently  on  paper. 

When  the  seed  is  sown  the  next  thing  is  to  rake  with  a 
fine-toothed  iron  rake  the  entire  lawn  over  thoroughly. 
Some  people  content  themselves  with  a  harrow  for  such 
work,  but  it  does  imperfect  work  at  best.  After  the  raking 
a  heavy  iron  roller  should  be  used  at  once  over  every  part 
where  the  seed  is  sown.  This  sets  the  seed  in  the  grouud 
firmly  and  helps  wonderfully  to  secure  an  even  mat  of 
grass,  especially  if  a  drought  sets  in  soon  after  the  sowing. 
It  is  a  good  plan  also  to  continue  this  rolling  once  or  twice 
after  the  grass  has  started  and  before  it  is  fit  to  mow. 

The  first  cutting  with  the  mowing  machine  should  come 
as  soon  as  the  grass  is  high  enough  for  the  knives  of  the 
machine  to  fairly  take  hold.  Frequent  mowing  during  the 
early  development  of  the  lawn  tends  to  thicken  and 
strengthen  the  growth  of  lawn  grass  and  thus  keep  down 
objectionable  wild  grasses  and  weeds. 

Having  reached  this  point,  however,  in  the  construction 
of  a  lawn,  most  people  are  liable  to  consider  that  nothing 
more  than  an  occasional  mowing  is  needed.  And  just  here 
a  great  mistake  is  made,  and  the  establishment  of  a  reason- 
ably perfect  lawn  retarded,  or,  in  most  cases,  absolutely 
prevented.  Perhaps  I  may  startle  some  one  when  I  state 
that  to  keep  up  a  good  lawn,  in  many  places,  requires  as 


14 


THE  LA  WN. 


much  careful  and  continual  culture,  with  our  present 
quality  of  seed,  as  to  keep  a  flower-bed  in  order ;  but  it  is  a 
fact.  And  why  should  we  not  consider  the  well-being  of 
each  spear  of  grass  as  important  as  that  of  each  coleus  or 
geranium  in  the  flower-bed.  The  spear  of  grass  is  actually 
the  most  important  factor  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  home 
grounds. 

Viewing  the  matter  in  this  light,  we  should  not  hesitate 
to  weed  the  lawn  all  summer  if  necessary,  to  water  it  daily 
in  dry  weather,  and  yearly  renew  bare  spots  with  better 
soil,  to  cover  it  with  seed  again,  and  fertilize  the  entire 
surface  with  frequent  applications  of  manure,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  roll  it  from  time  to  time  when  the  ground  is  soft.  In 
the  course  of  years,  however,  the  good  results  of  such  work 
must  tell,  and  the  necessity  for  it  become  much  diminished ; 
but  vigilance  and  intelligent  culture  will  be  always  and  con- 
tinually required  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 


AM  convinced  that  the  reader  will 
find  this  subject  a  novel  one.  The 
principles  governing  it  are  not,  so 
far  as  I  am  aware,  laid  down  in 
the  books,  and  yet  some  of  the  most 
charming  effects  of  our  best  park 
lawns  come  from  an  accidental  or 
intentional  arrangement  of  the  kind  I  am  about  to  describe. 
There  are  certain  primary  conditions  or  divisions  that 
make  up  all  parks  or  home-grounds.  Walks,  drives,  green- 
sward or  lawns,  plantations,  whether  trees,  shrubs,  or 
flowers,  and  the  intermediate  spaces  that  may  be  called 
"  sloping  grounds,"  make  up  characteristic  landscape-garden- 
ing effects.  These  sloping  grounds  may  come  down  to  the 
drives  or  walks  or  they  may  slope  upward,  in  steps  as  it 
were,  to  higher  lawns  or  plateaus.  They  may  be  made  of 
turf,  rocks,  vines  or  trees,  shrubs  or  perennial  plants,  of 
each  alone,  or  of  all,  or  of  only  part  mingled  together.  The 
lawn  itself  we  have  decided  to  consider  for  the  purpose  of 

15 


16    TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 


comfortable  and  pleasant  occupation  as  level  or  slightly 
hollowing. 

The  accompanying  illustration  will  convey  some  idea  of 
what  I  mean  by  a  slightly  hollowing  lawn.  This  surface 
is  to  my  mind  quite  as  irregular  as  one  would  desire  for 
pleasant  walking,  and  anything  more  irregular  I  should  call 
sloping  grounds,  and  not  properly  a  lawn.  We  may  find 
attractive  sloping  grounds  all  ready-made  for  us  by  nature 
or  we  may  be  obliged  to  humbly  follow  her  lead  and  treat 
more  or  less  artificially  our  sloping  grounds  after  the  fashion 
practised  by  the  natural  forces  about  us. 

The  hardest  part  of  such  work  is  to  keep  from  exag- 
gerating nature  or  repeating  over  and  over  again  some  one 
of  her  ways  of  doing  things.  It  should  be  always  remem- 
bered, in  landscape  gardening,  that  nature  never  repeits 
herself.  A  torrent  of  rain  rushes  down  a  hillside  and  ploughs 
furrows  or  heaps  piles  of  stones  in  its  path  and  partially 
covers  them  with  earth  from  above,  but  it  never  ploughs 
the  same  kind  of  furrow  twice  or  heaps  up  the  earth  and 
stones  again  in  the  same  way.  There  will  be,  indeed  a  cer- 
tain similarity  in  the  trend  of  the  furrows  and  the  course 
of  the  rolling  stones.  This  may  be  largely  established  by 
the  character  and  pitch  of  the  slope,  or  it  may  come  from 
the  general  direction  of  the  storms. 

Keeping  this  in  mind,  we  will  proceed  to  consider  the 
best  way  to  treat  sloping  grounds  of  obvious  steepness. 
There  are  two  kinds  of  steep  sloping  ground  in  connection 
with  lawns  which  require  special  modes  of  handling.  One 
we  may  describe  as  artificially  irregular,  and  the  other  as 
only  in  part  artificially  irregular.  A  portion  of  it  may  be 


18    TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 


already  found  in  place,  and  to  attain  the  desired  effect  it 
may  be  simply  necessary  to  supplement  it  with  work  of  a 
similar  character.  The  wholly  artificial  sloping  ground 
will  be  required  where  it  is  necessary  to  support  a  steep 
bank  connected  with  a  terrace  or  upper  lawn  plateau.  It 
may  be  also  required  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  a  house, 
or,  as  in  the  illustration,  along  a  skirting  boundary  wall. 
The  second  kind  consists  in  great  part  of  a  mass  of  natural 
rock,  which,  cropping  out  of  a  hillside,  separates  a  lower 
from  a  higher  lawn,  or  borders  a  path  or  roadway,  or  body 
of  water,  or  a  plantation  and  lawn. 

In  order  to  explain  more  satisfactorily  the  proper 
method  of  treating  sloping  grounds,  I  have  employed  three 
illustrations  of  the  work  of  actually  constructing  such  feat- 
ures. In  the  first  illustration,  a  rough  ungraded  bank  in 
Central  Park  is  shown  ;  then  another,  where  the  workmen 


ROUGH  UNGRADED  BANK. 

have  finished  grading  a  piece  of  ground  and  a  steep  bank 
at  one  end. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  bank  is  very  steep  and  needs 
to  be  kept  up  to  its  abrupt  angle.     If  such  a  place  were 


TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS.    ID 

subjected  to  the  action  of  the  elements  for  years,  with  the 
soil  as  full  of  boulders  as  it  is  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood, you  would  find  that,  in  time,  a  state  of  things  would 
be  established  like  the  one  seen  in  the  illustration  below. 


CLOSELY-MASSED  ROCKS  ON   FINISHED  STEEP  BANK. 

Gullies  of  different  depths  and  like  general  direction  would 
course  down  between  half-uncovered  rocks  that  may  have 
been  long  embedded  there  or  may  have  rolled  down  to  this 
point.  Above,  just  over  the  rocks,  will  appear  mounded 
up  earth  as  though  soil  had  washed  down  and  collected 
above  the  stone  obstruction. 

Sometimes  there  will  be  several  of  these  rocks  clustered 
together  and  holding  up  a  steep  portion  of  the  banks,  and 
again,  considerable  spaces  will  occur  without  rocks,  but  they 
may  still  be  slightly  gullied  or  lightly  scooped  out,  as  it 
were,  by  the  elements  over  a  considerable  area.  The  entire 
bank,  finished  on  these  natural  lines,  is  sodded,  as  it  is  too 
steep  to  retain  and  properly  germinate  grass  seed.  Rains 
would  be  sure  to  wash  the  seed  away. 


20    TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 


It  will  be  seen  by  this  brief  explanation  that  rockwork 
must  be  constructed  on  nature's  lines  after  a  careful  study 
and  analysis  of  nature's  methods  of  doing  such  work. 

The  illustration  of  the  next  bank  shows  the  way  to  treat 
sloping  grounds  where  the  steepness  is  not  so  great.  Here 
larger  areas  are  open  and  longer  gullies  appear  where  the 
sweep  of  the  water  has  apparently  had  more  opportunity  to 
leave  broad  marks. 

The  placing  of  these  rocks  requires  much  art.  It  will 
be  seen  that  they  are  not  set  parallel  with  each  other,  but 
that  they  have  a  likeness  of  setting,  as  if  a  gully  had  been 
opened  behind  them,  and  that  its  course  had  determined 
the  dip  and  set  of  the  rocks.  The  gullies  naturally  have 
also  the  same  general  similarity,  although  throughout  the 
whole  arrangement  extends  the  greatest  diversity  of  for- 
mation. 

Thus  far  I  have  spoken  of  and  illustrated  entirely  arti- 
ficial rockwork,  and  of  course  artificial  rockwork  may  take 
special  forms.  It  may  be  a  bank  to  be  treated  with  rocks, 
as  we  have  seen,  or  it  may  be  a  group  of  stones  to  protect  a 
tree,  around  which  earth  is  to  be  filled.  The  curves  of  drives 
may  need  rocks  to  fend  off  carriage-wheels,  or  there  may 
be  an  extended  terrace,  in  front  or  on  the  side  of  the  house, 
that  must  be  held  in  with  rocks.  In  each  and  every  case 
the  simple  object  to  be  sought  is  to  make  the  effect  look 
entirely  natural,  as  if  it  had  been  brought  about  in  long 
course  of  time  under  the  stress  of  wind  and  rain. 

There  is  also  the  second  or  semi-artificial  rockwork  to 
be  considered,  the  kind  that  is  a  supplementary  rockwork 
to  that  already  standing  naturally  in  place.  Instances  of 


22    TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 

thi.s  kind  are  to  be  found  everywhere  in  countries  where 
stone  abounds,  along  paths  and  roads,  between  upper  and 
lower  lawns,  near  the  house,  and  along  boundary  lines. 
In  fact,  they  may  be  found  everywhere  as  problems  dis- 
tinctly in  sight  and  requiring  treatment.  I  except  of  course 
rocks  that  stand  up  in  the  middle  of  roads  or  paths.  From 
such  places  the  rock  must  be  simply  removed  at  least  two 
feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Many  lawns  turn 
brown  in  summer  on  account  of  the  proximity  of  rock  to 
the  surface. 

If  you  will  note  the  illustration  of  a  charming  lawn  of 
Central  Park  near  the  Webster  Statue  and  the  head  of  the 
Mall,  you  will  see  how  the  rocks  crop  out  of  the  outskirts 
of  the  territory.  It  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  these  rocks, 
where  they  have  not  been  blasted  away  sufficiently,  that  the 
first  effects  of  drought  are  felt.  The  lawn  of  the  illustra- 
tion is  like  a  shallow  bowl,  beautifully  modelled,  and,  as 
already  noted,  it  represents  the  extreme  of  irregularity  that 
should  be  given  a  lawn. 

Many  of  the  rocks  around  it  are  natural,  but  in  order  to 
supplement  and  complete  their  attractions  others  have  been 
set  contiguous  to  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  the 
whole  seem  to  be  an  entirely  natural  effect. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  illustration  of  the  Cave  in  the 
Ramble,  Central  Park.  It  is  an  excellent  example  of  this 
semi-artificial  rockwork.  In  the  first  place,  it  should  be 
explained  that  the  entire  Cave  and  the  hollow  space  around 
it  were  found  originally  to  be  filled  up  to  a  high  level  with 
rich  mould.  For  the  sake  of  the  mould,  all  the  soil  was 
carted  out,  leaving  a  great  excavation  not  very  unlike 


24    TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 


what  we  see  in  the  picture.  Just  here,  however,  came 
in  the  art. 

In  carrying  out  the  work  of  park  construction,  all  the 
desirable  effects  were  simply  emphasized  and  completed. 
On  top  of  the  solid  wall  of  rock  adjoining,  more  rocks  were 
set,  while  on  the  other  side  where  little  but  earth  probably 
appeared  in  the  original  excavation,  many  large  rocks  were 
set  on  edge  as  if  they  had  accidentally  slid  down  to  their 
present  position.  The  planting  of  trees  and  vines  and  the 
laying  of  a  convenient  walk  to  the  Cave  complete  the  entirely 
natural  effect  presented  by  the  picture. 

The  illustration  of  the  steps  to  the  Cave  is  introduced 
principally  to  show  the  proper  method  of  treating  such 
places.  The  most  perfect  rustic  steps  are  of  course  rough- 
hewn  slabs  of  stone,  but  as  these  are  often  hardly  agreeable 
to  the  feet,  good  practice  has  accepted  the  cut  granite  step, 
roughly  edged.  This  somewhat  artificial-looking  stone  does 
not  look  well  directly  alongside  the  greensward,  and  the 
turf  at  that  point  is  liable  to  be  kicked  to  pieces  by  the  feet 
of  those  passing  up  and  down  the  steps.  It  will  be  seen  in 
the  picture  how  this  difficulty  is  overcome  by  bordering  all 
the  steps  with  large  stones  set  so  as  to  look  as  natural 
as  possible.  No  rustic  steps  should  indeed  be  set  without 
this  border  or  natural  coping  of  rockwork. 

In  another  illustration  taken  from  Central  Park  will  be 
seen  the  way  in  which  a  shore  should  be  treated  where 
a  great  mass  of  rock  extends  sheer  down  into  the  depths  of 
the  pool.  By  looking  closely  you  will  see  two  large  rocks 
lying  in  the  water.  Although  they  seem  to  have  only  hap- 
pened there,  it  should  be  understood  that  they  were  care- 


26     TREA TMENT  OF  SL OPING  GRO UNDS. 


fully  placed  at  the  very  point  they  occupy  to  increase  the 
desired  natural  effect.  Where  the  shore  is  less  occupied  by 
a  huge  mass  of  rock,  and  yet  is  steep,  a  good-sized  stone,  set 
here  and  there  in  the  water,  is  very  effective.  The  shore 
line  should  be  diversified  by  pushing  out  a  cluster  of  stones 
at  one  point,  and  at  another  flanking  a  bay  with  a  broad 
long  rock  with  its  base  in  the  water.  At  the  lowest  part  of 
the  bank  there  may  be  arranged  with  good  effect  a  sandy 
beach. 

The  rocks,  I  should  explain,  must  not  be  clustered  too 
thickly  on  a  bank.  There  should  be  plenty  of  plant  space 
between  the  rocks,  otherwise  they  will  appear  to  be  simply 
an  artificial  heap  of  stones.  Some  rocks  will  of  course  be 
contiguous,  but  many  of  the  others  should  in  that  case  be 
kept  farther  apart.  I  doubt  if,  in  most  cases,  such  a  bank 
should  have  more  than  half  its  surface  covered  with  rocks. 
The  rest  should  be  turf,  vines,  or  trees  and  shrubs,  and  the 
manner  of  using  grass  and  plants  in  rockwork  is  a  distin- 
guishing mark  of  the  best  landscape-gardening  art. 

This  reference  to  trees  and  shrubs  leads  me  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  remaining  and  specially  important  part  of 
the  treatment  of  sloping  grounds,  namely,  the  use  of  turf 
and  plants  of  all  kinds  in  connection  with  rockwork.  The 
illustrations  show  many  large  trees  and  shrubs  mingled  with 
the  rocks,  and  numerous  Virginia  creepers  and  other  vines 
trailing  over  their  surface  in  such  a  manner  and  thickness 
as  to  relieve  the  solid  character  of  the  stony  masses. 

It  is  important  to  observe  the  practice  of  so  pruning  and 
training  vines  in  such  places  as  to  always  leave  exposed 
something  of  the  general  effect  and  contour  of  the  rock. 


28     TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 


As  a  rule,  the  vines  should  be  planted  in  the  deepest  soil 
near  the  top  of  the  rock,  and  not  at  the  base.  The  excep- 
tion to  this  rule  is  the  Ampelopsis  tricuspidata  or  Japan 
ivy.  Wherever  this  excellent  vine  is  planted  in  rockwork, 
it  should  stand  at  the  base  of  a  rock,  and  thus  climb  up  by 
means  of  its  rootlets,  rather  than  fall  over  and  lose  its  most 
characteristic  effect.  It  is  a  thick-growing  vine,  and  com- 
pletely covers  any  moderate-sized  space  it  seizes  on.  Thin- 
ning out  this  vine  is  not  easy.  It  does  not  look  natural  for 
some  time  after  being  thinned  out,  no  matter  how  much 
care  is  taken.  For  this  reason,  the  Japan  ivy  is  not  to  be 
generally  commended  for  covering  rocks.  Such  vines  as 
Virginia  creeper,  honeysuckles,  Virginia  silk,  Akebia  qui- 
nata,  trumpet  creeper  (Tecoma  radicans},  clematis,  Dutch- 
man's pipe,  bitter-sweet  (Celastrus  scandens),  and  above 
all  Wistaria,  are  always  found  picturesque-looking  on  rocks. 

Trees  and  shrubs  should  be  planted  on  the  higher  por- 
tions of  the  banks  or  sloping  grounds,  and  not  usually  in 
the  valleys  or  hollows.  This  arrangement  tends  to  increase 
the  effect  of  the  irregularity  of  the  grounds  and  emphasizes 
the  higher  points  that  manifestly  require  emphasis. 

Some  of  the  best  trees  and  shrubs  for  planting  among 
rocks  are  those  that  weep  or  droop,  or  are  irregular  and  pic- 
turesque-looking. Among  trees  I  may  name  as  specially 
suitable  for  this  purpose,  the  varieties  of  Japanese  maple 
(Acer  potymorphum),  the  alders,  Andromeda  arborea, 
Aralia  spinosa  (Hercules'  club),  Aralia  Japonica,  white 
birch,  European  and  American  hornbeam,  white-flowering 
dogwood,  Crcdasgus  Crus-galli  (the  cock-spur  thorn),  C. 
coccinea,  weeping  beech,  honey-locust,  Kentucky  coffee 


TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS.     29 


tree,  weeping  larch,  pyramidal  oak,  Lombardy  poplar, 
RJius  aromatica  and  Rhus  glabra  laciniata  or  cut-leaved 
sumach,  the  ginkgo  tree  ( 'Salisburia  adiantifolia),  Salix 
rosmarinifolia  (rosemary-leaved  willow),  and  tlie  Japan 
weeping  (  Sophora) .  Some  of  the  shrubs 
suitable  for  rocky  regions  are  the  Ghent 
or  hardy  azalea,  Cletlira  alnifolia,  Cornus 
sanguined  alba  (the  red-twigged  dogwood), 
Daphne  Genkiva,  Deutzia  gracilis,  Elceagnus 
hortensis,  Elceagnus  longipes,  Euonymus 
alatus,  Forsyihia  suspensa,  Fothergilla  al- 
nifolia, Genista  scoparia  (Scotch  broom), 
Genista  tinctoria,  Itea  Virginica,  Kerria 
Japonica,  Jiasminum  nudiflorum,  Lonicera 
fragrantissima,  Lycium  barbarum,  Myrica 


cerifera,  Prinos  verticillata,  Prunus  mari- 

tima,   Rhodotypus    kerrioi- 

des,  Rubus  odoratus,  Sam- 

bucus  nigra  aurea,  Spiraea 

Reevesiana,   8.   callosa,    S. 

callosa  alba,   S.   opulifolia, 

Symphoricarpus     vulgaris, 

S.  racemosa,  Tamarix  Afri- 

cana,  T.  Indica,  Viburnum 

opulus,    Yucca  filarnentosa, 

and  I7]  recurva. 

The  best  evergreens  for  rockwork  are  the  weeping 
hemlock,  the  weeping  Norway  spruce  or  Picea  excelsa 
inverta,  Picea  excelsa  elata,  Cedrus  Atlantica,  Juniperus 
Virginiana  (the  red  cedar),  J.  prostrata,  J.  squamata,  J. 


YUCCA    RECURVA. 


30     TREATMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS. 


tamariscifolia  (all  three  known  as  the  creeping  juniper), 
J.  Sabina  or  savin  juniper,  Abies  pectinata  pendula, 
(weeping  silver  fir),  Pinus  Cembra,  Pinus  Mugho,  Met- 
inospom  obtusa,  R.  fllifem  pendula,  Sciadopitys  verticillata, 
the  Japan  parasol  pine,  rhododendrons,  Azalea  amcena, 
Cotoneaster  bnxifolia,  Cratcegus  or  Cotoneaster  pyracantha, 
Kalmia  latifolia  (broad-leaved  laurel),  Berberis  or  Ma- 
Itoiiia  Aquifolium,  and  M.  Japonicum. 

There  are  also  a  large  number  of  hardy  herbaceous 
perennials  that  are  peculiarly  well  suited  to  rockwork. 

A  word,  before  closing  this  chapter,  on  the  kind  of  rock- 
treatment  that  generally  passes  for  good  work  among  garden- 
ers. It  generally  consists  of  an  irregular  pile  of  stones,  with  a 
little  soil  tucked  in  pockets  here  and  there  for  the  reception 
of  vines  and  flowers.  The  stones  chosen  are  frequently 
brought  from  a  considerable  distance  in  order  to  secure  the 
very  quality  they  should  not  have,  viz.,  that  of  strangeness 
and  unlikeness  to  the  common  rock  seen  at  home.  Flowers 
and  vines  may,  of  course,  be  attractive  in  themselves,  grow- 
ing out  of  a  pile  of  stones,  but  unrelated  stones  heaped  up 
in  a  mass,  that  is  in  no  sense  in  key  or  harmony  with  the 
rest  of  the  landscape,  have  no  excuse  for  their  special  arrange- 
ment in  a  landscape-gardener's  picture. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  landscape  gardeners  so  often 
fail  to  grasp  the  combined  possibilities  and  proper  relations 
of  the  different  features  of  the  places  they  undertake  to 
treat.  If  they  could  only  look  upon  their  work  in  a  large 
and  artistic  manner,  they  would  see  that  rocks  planted  in 
the  ground  at  the  points  where  they  would  appear  most 
natural  and  most  needed  contribute  to  secure  some  of  the 


TREA  TMENT  OF  SLOPING  GROUNDS.     31 

best  effects  of  the  entire  lawn.  Heaps  of  stones,  on  the 
other  hand,  set  on  end  with  their  points  sticking  up,  even 
with  the  nested  vines  and  flowers,  always  serve  to  mar  the 
repose  of  the  place. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 


IPRINGTIME  is  the  season  of  buds. 
Now  everything  is  swelling  with 
revived  life  and  ecstasy.  The  new 
year  is  growing,  and  nature  is  burst- 
ing with  all  possible  haste  Into  the 
full  perfection  of  June.  Some  spe- 
cially endowed  plants  actually  reach 
their  goal  of  bloom  before  summer  sets  her  seal-warrant  on 
their  perfection,  but  they  do  it  in  many  cases  only  by  pre- 
senting their  flowers  on  twigs  and  branches,  which  scarcely 
as  yet  show  their  leaves. 

So  many  plants  have  this  habit  of  flowering  before 
their  leaves  appear  that  I  propose  to  dwell  chiefly  on 
their  intrinsic  peculiarities  as  dominating  the  most  charac- 
teristic portions  of  spring  effects  on  the  lawn.  I  always 
fancy  April  and  early  May  as  the  true  springtide  of  the 
year.  Late  May  is  generally  June  in  appearance  as  far  as 
the  effects  of  grass,  foliage,  and  flowers  go.  The  hurry  and 
activity  of  the  bright  early  spring  days  have  passed  by  the 

32 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.        33 


middle  of  May,  and  we  find  ourselves  fast  settling  down 
into  the  slumberous  rich  fulness  of  content  inspired  by  the 
gracious  conditions  of  early  summer.  The  activities  of 
spring  have  culminated  into  the  restfulness  of  summer. 

It  is  the  activities  of  spring,  however,  that  I  wish  to 
•consider  at  present,  fully  believing  that  no  more  charming 
subject  can  enchain  our  attention  than  the  simultaneous 
unfolding,  as  it  were,  of  the  leaf  and  flower  bud  of  all  nature. 
It  is  a  new  birth,  and  inspires  all  the  glad  feelings  associated 
with  an  actual  resurrection.  The  very  sight  of  nature  at 
this  season  is  a  positive  delight,  and  the  lawn,  so  planted  as 
to  exhibit  properly  the  glories  of  this  season,  will  surely 
gain  a  charm  unspeakable.  Nor  is  the  charm  less  for 
people  generally,  but  rather  more,  because  in  a  full  com- 
munity of  interest  in  this  particular  season  every  one 
feels,  recognizes,  and  takes  possession  of  the  evident  charm 
^s  common  property.  There  is  none  of  the  elusiveness  of 
some  of  the  shy  beauties  of  other  parts  of  the  year. 

As  we  walk  upon  the  tender,  emerald  greensward  we 
luxuriate  and  glory  in  the  very  bounteousness  with  which 
nature  is  renewing  her  mysterious  powers  about  us.  We 
are  insatiable  ;  we  demand  the  evident  presence  of  spring 
everywhere  on  the  lawn.  The  object  is  not  yet  the  rich 
composition  of  color  in  fall  effects,  not  yet  the  quiet  subdued 
masses  of  late  summer  foliage,  nor  even  the  broad  glow  and 
gleam  of  June. 

In  contemplating  once  more  the  wonderful  mystery  of 
renewed  creation,  exemplified  by  freshly  budding  leaf  and 
flower,  we  simply  seek  with  avidity  something  of  special 
spring  foliage  and  bloom  eveiywhere.  It  is  not  enough  to 


34         SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 


see  this  foliage  and  bloom  freshly  put  forth  at  our  doorstep, 
but  their  beauty  must  appear  on  all  sides,  under  the  trees, 
down  by  the  stream,  in  a  part  of  every  shrub  group,  on  the 
vines  of  the  porch  or  boundary  wall — in  short,  on  every 
spot  where  their  presence  will  not  unduly  usurp  the 
province  of  the  flowers  and  foliage  of  other  seasons  of  the 
year. 

Unlike  the  fall  effects,  moreover,  which  are  specially 
effective  on  a  large  lawn,  the  beauties  of  spring  ornamental 
plants  may  be  restricted  to  very  small  dimensions,  and 
actually  in  such  cases  furnish  lovely  lawn-planting  effecta 
from  the  very  charm  alone  of  their  detail. 

You  will  perceive,  therefore,  that  my  endeavor  in 
treating  of  spring  on  the  lawn  resolves  itself  into  com- 
paratively simple  descriptions  of  lovely  bits  of  color  and 
form  in  actual  process  of  being  wrought  into  the  most 
charming  lawn-planting  combinations.  I  would  not  imply 
that  these  processes  are  not  going  on  during  the  entire 
summer,  only  that  now  we  feel  them  to  be  a  dominant 
feature  of  the  time.  They  are  in  full  action  all  around  us, 
and  we  are  in  sympathy  with  them  more  than  at  any  other 
time  of  the  year. 

There  are  several  plants  that  sometimes  bloom  even  in 
winter,  if  the  season  is  mild.  These  plants  must  of  course 
be  considered  the  earliest  of  flowering  shrubs,  and  bearing, 
as  they  must  at  this  early  season,  their  flowers  before  their 
leaves,  our  attention  is  naturally  given  chiefly  to  their 
flowers. 

The  first  I  call  to  mind  is  an  old  shrub  common  in  many 
unpretending  gardens,  Jasminum  nudiflorum,  the  yellow 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN.        35 


jasmine  which  a  mild  February  has  often  seen  in  bloom. 
The  flowers  are  yellow,  small,  and  bright,  and  studded  on 
smooth,  slender,  green  stems.  It  is  vigorous  and  easily 
transplanted,  and  should  have  a  place  on  every  lawn,  old- 
fashioned  though  it  be.  The 
yellow  jasmine  may  occupy  very 
suitably  a  position  in  a  group, 
but  it  also  makes  a  lovely  sweet- 
scented  plant  for  early  spring 
bloom,  or  may  be  even  trained  on 
a  trellis  as  a  climber. 

At  some  point  near  a  path  or 
near  the  honse,  or,  best  of  all,  on 
the  outskirts  of  Rhododendron 
Catawbiense  groups,  may  be  used 
an  allied  and  equally  aristocratic 
plant,  Rhododendron  dauricum. 
Why  aristocratic  it  may  not  be 
easy  to  explain  in  set  terms,  for 
the  application  of  such  an  adjec- 
tive is  doubtless  fanciful ;  yet 

YELLOW   JASMINE. 

I  always  feel   a   certain    respect  OASM.NUM  NUD^LORUM.) 

that  is  more  than  mere  admiration  for  the  dignified  beauty 
of  the  rhododendron  family.  Its  members  are  so  excel- 
lent for  their  grand  forms  and  exquisite  color  that  they 
quite  cast  into  the  shade  the  homely  though  undoubted 
charms  of  the  yellow  jasmine.  In  this  case  I  wish  to  pay 
my  respects  to  the  Rlwdodendron  Dauricum,  a  species  that 
in  England  often  blooms  in  midwinter.  Even  in  New 
England  a  few  mild  February  days  may  coax  and  surprise 


3ti         SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


the  dark  glowing  red  of  its  flower  into  sudden  full-blown 
beauty.  This  rhododendron  is  quite  dwarf  in  its  nature  and 
not  at  all  spreading.  It  is  riot  indeed  specially  conspicuous 
among  its  relatives,  except  for  the  extreme  earliness  of  its 
flowers.  The  leaves  are  small,  and  not  always  as  lustrous 
as  the  broad  foliage  of  Rhododendron  Catawhiense  and 
R.  maximum. 

But  there  are  other  trees  and  shrubs  not  far  behind 
this  Rhododendron  Dauricmn  and  yellow  jasmine.  The 
scarlet  maple,  which  we  saw  a  few  months  since  dyed 
during  the  yearly  process  of  decay  with  lovely  crimson, 'is 
now  scarcely  less  attractive.  Almost  before  we  fairly  begin 
to  feel  that  spring  is  upon  us  we  note  with  sudden  pleasure 
the  bare  branches  of  the  scarlet  maple  studded  with  minute 
red  buds  over  the  entire  tree,  literally  je welled  with  the 
first  bursting  luxuriance  of  spring.  These  leaf-buds  are 
accompanied,  if  not  entirely  outstripped,  by  the  flowers,  a 
common  peculiarity  of  the  inflorescence  of  all  early  spring- 
blooming  plants.  The  flowers  of  the  scarlet  maple  are  of 
course  most  noteworthy,  and  are  the  special  cause  of  the 
bejewelled  appearance  of  the  branches. 

Thus  far  we  have  dwelt  particularly  on  the  flowers  of 
spring,  but  we  must  be  careful  not  to  forget  the  equally 
attractive  charms  of  the  unfolding  leaf.  The  mysterious 
processes  of  the  early  development  of  the  leaf  reveal 
exquisite  shadings  and  tints  and  a  marvellous  delicacy  of 
form  seldom  to  be  found  in  such  bright,  rich  beauty  as  in 
the  budding  of  this  maple. 

Who  has  not  likewise  enjoyed  the  pushing  forth  of  the 
pussies  or  catkins  of  willow  and  alder  ?  Delightful  in  their 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.         37 


rich,  cool  green  last  fall,  we  find  ourselves  again  in  early 
spring  dwelling  on  the  same  pleasant  leaf  colors  gradually 
developed,  but  preceded  by  the  lovely  silvery  flower-buds 
known  as  pussies  or  catkins. 

There  are  European  alders  and  several  well-known 
American  alders  that  it  would  be  well  to  employ  for  their 
charming  appearance  at  this  season.  Alnw  imperialis 
laainiata,  the  cut-leaved  alder,  and  Alnus  firma,  the  Japan 
alder,  are  also  fine  in  early  spring. 

All  willows  are  effective  in  early  spring,  but  the  goat 
willow,  Salix  caprea,  parent  of  the  weeping  Kilrnarnock 
willow,  is  particularly  noteworthy  for  attractive  early  spring 
development.  In  similar  fashion  the  royal  willow  (Salix 
regalis),  the  common  weeping  willow,  and  the  rosemary 
willow  distinguish  themselves,  furnishing  us  the  delightful 
bits  of  cool  silvery-gray  or  olive-green  color  so  characteristic 
of  much  of  the  foliage  of  the  early  days  of  spring. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  birch  was  lovely  during  eveiy 
hour  of  the  year,  for  even  winter  landscapes  are  greatly 
beautified  by  the  birch's  picturesque  white  stems  and 
delicate  branching.  In  spring,  however,  the  soft  delicate 
satin  sheen  of  its  unfolding  leaf-buds  are  dainty  and 
surpassingly  beautiful  to  those  who  will  take  the  trouble  to 
examine  their  refined  charms.  For  early  spring  purposes  the 
ordinary  American  birches,  the  canoe  birch,  and  black  and 
yellow  birches  and  the  common  European  birch  are  sufficient. 
The  cut-leaved  and  purple-leaved  birches  of  course  stand 
eminent  among  rare  trees  for  their  distinctive  beauty. 

While  on  the  subject  of  attractive  early  spring  foliage, 
we  should  dwell  especially  on  the  larches.  The  tender  soft 


38         SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


shining  green  of  their  young  foliage  is  not  surpassed  in  color 
by  their  leaf  clothing  of  any  other  season  of  the  year.  It 
matters  little  which  larch  we  take — the  vigorous  Japan  lep- 
tolepsis,'or  glauca,  or  the  grotesque  weeping  form,  or  Da- 
hurica,  or  even  the  common  European  and  American  species 
or  type — their  charming  spring  tints  are  alike  lovely.  Larches 
look  well  and  do  well  in  outlying  low  portions  of  the  lawn, 
and  are  especially  valuable  for  this  soft  and  tender  spring- 
time beauty.  If  planted  too  near  the  house,  the  rusty  hue 
of  midsummer  they  present,  obtrudes  itself  unpleasantly  on 
the  eye. 

The  aspen  poplar  (Populus  tremuloides )  also  develops 
beautiful  early  unf oldings  of  the  leaf.  It  is,  moreover,  almost 
as  attractive  in  form  and  tint  as  the  alders  and  birches. 
All  this  we  must  remember  is  embryonic  foliage,  for  early 
spring  is  properly  the  season  of  leaf,  buds,  and  early  flowers. 
Indeed,  flowers  are  the  crown  and  charm  of  spring,  just  as 
leaves  almost  exclusively  adorn  the  noteworthy  plants  of 
midsummer  and  fall.  As  a  rule,  we  have  properly  no  de- 
veloped foliage  with  early  spring  effects ;  so  although  during 
our  discussion  we  have  been  led,  almost  unconsciously,  into 
dwelling  on  certain  lovely  leaf-buds  of  spring,  we  will  hence- 
forth devote  ourselves  conscientiously  and  exclusively  to  the 
flowers  that  constitute  spring's  special  wreath  of  glory. 

We  have  considered  one  charming  yellow  flower,  Jos- 
minum  muliflorum,  but  a  better  and  more  effective  bloom 
appears  almost  as  early  on  the  long  sweeping  branches 
of  the  well-known  Forsythia  viridissima  or  golden  bell. 
This  shrub  graces  the  dooryard  of  nearly  every  home  that 
attempts  to  grow  any  ornamental  plants  whatever.  Yet  its 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.        39 


fresh  bright  charms  never  weary  the  eye,  especially  when 
we  come  to  realize  its  hardy  vigor  and  fitness  for  ready 
transplanting  and  its  abundant  display  of  flowers. 

There  are  two  or  three  kinds,  but  viridissima  is  the 
favorite,  with  little  show  of  justice,  for  suspensa  presents 
more  regular  and  attractive  curves, 
and  is  particularly  effective  on  rock- 
work,  and  Fwtunii,  an  erect  form, 
is  fine  in  every  way. 

One  of  the  commonest  and  best 
shrubs  that  bloom  in  these  early 
spring  days  is  the  Cydonia  Ja- 
ponica, the  Japan  quince.  It  has 
grown  to  be  a  favorite  deciduous 
shrub,  alike  in  the  office  of  hed<2:e, 

O     * 

group,  or  single  specimen,  and 
proves  itself  worthy  of  all  its  popu- 
larity by  its  rich  bloom,  great  har- 
diness, and  bright  green  foliage. 
Pyrua  Japonica  we  used  to  call  it, 
before  botanists  taught  us  better, 
and  few  who  enjoy  hardy  trees 

and  shrubs  at  all  have  failed  to  note  time  and  again  its 
many  excellent  and  lovely  qualities.  But  the  blossom, 
its  chief  and  peculiar  spring  attraction,  is  not  always  of 
the  glowing  brilliant  red  so  familiar  to  all  who  have 
known  the  Pyrus  Japonica  at  all.  Red  is  indeed  the 
color  of  the  best-known  kinds ;  but  there  are  varieties  bear- 
ing pinkish-white  flowers,  and  others,  like  alia  simplex, 
pure  white  in  their  loveliness.  Others  are  distinctly  striped 


WEEPING    QOLDEN    BELL. 
(FORSYTHIA  SUSPENSA.) 


40       SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  IVN. 


red  and  white,  and  still  others  glow  with  rich  salmon  color. 
There  is  a  large-flowered  kind  recently  introduced  from 
Japan  called  Cydonia  Japonica  grandiflora,  hearing  flowers 
nearly  double  the  size  of  our  common  form,  with  richly 
blended  colors  of  salmon  red  and  white.  Do  not  forget,  there- 
fore, to  use  the  different  varieties  of  these  Japan  quinces. 

The  white  flowering  dogwood  (  Cornu8  florida)  should 
stand  on  every  lawn.  It  is  hardy,  picturesque  in  growth,. 
and  charming  in  spiing  with  its  masses  of  pure  white  flow- 
ers, and  is,  moreover,  an  American  shrub  or  tree,  and  there- 
fore deserves  employment  for  American  planting. 

There  are  two  or  three  dainty  little  flowers  that  come  very- 
early  in  spring,  before  the  leaves  appear.  I  dwell  on  them 

with  special  pleasure  because 
their  beauty  is  shy  and  mod- 
est, more  like  that  of  the 
violet,  and  because  they  af- 
ford a  strong  contrast  to  the 
glowing  brilliance  of  the  Ja- 
pan quince.  Ehodora  Cana- 
densis,  the  choicest  of  these, 
is  little  known  except  to 
botanists  and  true  plant  lov- 
ers, not  certainly  because 


FLOWERING   DOGWOOD. 

(CORNU8    FLORIDA.) 


it    is    rare,     for 

ill  tllC 


it 

of 


England  in  considerable  quantities,  and  could  be  trans- 
planted while  young  with  little  difficulty.  Indeed,  I  cannot 
account  satisfactorily  for  the  neglect  of  such  a  beautiful  and 
abundant  native  flower.  Perhaps  like  a  good  many  other 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  IVN.        41 


beautiful  things  that  do  not  flaunt  their  charms  before  the 
eye  of  the  passer-by,  it  has  been  simply  overlooked.  Ex- 
quisite as  all  its  tints  are,  they  are  yet  quiet,  Quaker-like, 
and  almost  neutral  in  effect.  The  slender  stems  or  branches 
are  a  delicate  drab,  and  the  flowers  have  that  tender  violet 
or  mauve  tint  so  difficult  to  describe  and  yet  so  charming 
to  dwell  on  minutely.  These  flowers 
are  numerous  and  appear  early. 
When  we  light,  therefore,  unex- 
pectedly on  a  cluster  of  rhodoras  in 
some  retired  nook,  they  impress  us 
as  one  of  the  most  exquisite  indica- 
tions of  settled  spring. 

Only  less  dainty  than  the  rhodora 
is  the  Daphne  Mezereum,  bearing 
many  early  small  flowers  on  brown 
erect  stems.  The  color  of  these 
flowers  is  also  neutral,  a  violet 
purple,  very  different  and  less  ex- 
quisite than  the  rhodora.  Very 
different,  too,  are  the  leaves.  In-  DOUBLE-FLOWERING  APPLE. 

(PYRU8    SPECTABILIS.) 

deed,  the  entire  plant  is  less  choice 

in  every  way,  but,  bearing  flowers  very  early,  before  the 
leaves  appear,  it  forms  on  the  outskirts  of  deciduous 
groups,  or  better  still,  standing  alone,  a  noteworthy  feature 
on  the  lawn. 

Smaller  and  more  exquisite  is  the  Japan  Daphne  Genkwa, 
another,  but  more  dwarf,  slender-growing  shrub,  with  nu- 
merous long  downy  twigs,  which  in  early  spring,  before  the 
leaves  appear,  are  thickly  garnished  with  violet-colored 


42        SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 


tubular  flowers  rather  less  than  an  inch  long.  This  daphne 
seldom  attains  a  height  of  more  than  three  feet,  and  has  fine 
delicate  foliage.  It  is  one  of  the  more  recent  valuable  in- 
troductions from  Japan,  and  should  be  planted  in  angles  of 
the  house  or  in  similar  retired  spots  where  numbers  of  it 
can  be  set  out  together  without  being  overwhelmed  by  the 
more  striking  effect  of  other  plants. 

Almost  as  early  as  the  plants  already  mentioned  are 
the  blossoms  of  the  various  fruits,  apples,  cherries,  plums, 
and  peaches.  In  this  case,  however,  I  do  not  refer  to  the 
simple  blossoms  familiar  to  all  in  dooryard  or  orchard,  but 
to  special  varieties  that  have  changed — developed — their 
fruit-producing  blossoms  into  larger  and  more  beautiful, 
though  sterile  flowers.  These  flowers  are  variously  colored, 
and  double  the  size  of  the  ordinary  forms. 


THE    DOUBLE-FLOWERING   CHERRY.     (PRUNUS   CERASUS,  FL.  PL.) 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.        43 


There  are  several  vaiieties  of  double-flowering  apples, 
some  with  blooms  more  or  less  shaded  with  pink,  some  red, 
and  others  with  leaves  variegated.  Aucubcefolia  is  an 
instance  of  the  last  form,  and  among  the  others  are 


SOULANGE'S    MAGNOLIA.     (MAGNOLIA  SOULANGEANA.) 

coronaria  odorata,  double  pink,  double  crimson,  and,  above 
all,  Malus  HctUeana  and  Sfpectabilix  from  Japan,  with 
flowers  of  a  deep  lively  rose  at  the  base,  and  a  lighter 
shade  at  the  edges.  This  last  is  unquestionably  the  most 
ornamental  of  the  double-flowering  apples.  The  old  white 
double-flowering  cherry  is  another  early  and  most  charming 
tree,  only  surpassed  in  form  by  the  highly-prized  weeping 
cherry  of  Japan,  the  flowers  of  which,  however,  are  smaller 
and  more  pink  than  those  of  our  flowering  cherry.  Double- 
flowering  cherries,  peaches,  and  plums  are  all  attractive  at 
this  season. 

The   Japan   Judas   tree  must   receive  a  distinguished 
position  among  the  early  spring  flowers  of  any  lawn,  for 


44       SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


its  long  shrubby  stems  look  rich  and  peculiar  at  that 
season,  wreathed  and  studded  with  reddish-purple  clinging 
flowers. 

Of  like  peculiar  habit  are  the  Asiatic  magnolias,  chief 
among  which  for  early  blooming  is  the  Japanese  Magnolia 
stellata,  with  its  delicate  white  star-like  blossoms  resting 
on  firm  compact  stems.  The  better-known  Chinese  mag- 
nolias, conspicua,  Soulangeana,  Norletiana,  and  Lennei,  are 
each  grand  in  their  way,  but  come  later  than  steUatay  al- 
though still  before  the  leaves  appeal1.  Soulangeana  is  the 
most  vigorous  and  hardy,  and  best  fitted  for  general  popu- 
larity, but  conspicua  is,  after  all,  the  magnolia  chief  and 
peculiar  among  its  race  for  choice  beauty.  It  has  not  as 
sweet  an  odor  or  so  dainty  a  development  as  M.  stellata, 
but  it  is  grander  and  more  generally  effective  in  appearance. 
A  large  tree  of  M.  conspicua  is  a  beautiful  sight  when 
arrayed  in  full  bloom,  especially  if  there  has  been,  as  often 
occurs  in  April,  a  light  fall  of  snow.  The  great  white 
regular  cups  of  the  flowers  cover  the  entire  contour  of  the 
tree,  until  as  we  gaze  on  it  we  could  fancy,  in  the  absence 
of  foliage,  we  were  looking  on  a  white  cloud.  Snow 
adds  greatly  to  the  effect  by  harmoniously  blending  with 
the  mass  of  these  myriads  of  flowers.  Like  many  plants, 
however,  it  is  in  this  peculiar  attractiveness  of  the  early 
flower  that  we  find  its  weakness.  Late  frosts  sometimes 
catch  and  destroy  the  blooms  of  conspicua,  which  fact, 
notwithstanding  the  superior  excellence  of  conspicua  above 
Soulangeana,  gives  a  decided  advantage  to  the  latter  on 
account  of  its  somewhat  late^Moom. 

Norbetiana  is  but  a  slenderer,  smaller  form  of  Soulan- 
, with  flowers  of  similar  tint  and  time  of  blooming. 


JAPAN  .WEEPING    CHERRY. 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


M.  Lennei,  however,  is  later  in  flowering,  the  latest  of 
the  Chinese  magnolias,  if  we  except  perhaps  the  bloom  of 
M.  purpurea  and  its  variety  gracilis,  which  come  about  the 
same  time.  Lennei  has  the  inner  surface  of  its  petal  slightly 
tinted  with  red,  but  the  outer  side  is  solid,  rich,  royal 
purple.  The  flower  itself  is  large,  larger  than  those  of  any 
of  the  hardy  magnolias,  if  we  except  possibly  tripetala,  and, 
of  course,  the  enormous  petals  of  M.  macrophylla. 

The  lawn  planter  must  not  neglect  the  attractions  of  M. 
grcieilis.  It  is,  indeed,  a  variety  of  M.  purpiirea,  an  Asiatic 

magnolia,  by  no  means  hardy 
in  America,  but  its  seedling, 
gracilis,  is  hardier.  M.  gra- 
ailis  displays  on  its  petals  the 
deepest  purple  of  the  family. 
It  is,  moreover,  a  low  shrub 
like  M.  Halleana  ( stellata ) 
with  a  comparatively  slender 
and  more  elegant  growth. 

Few  hardy  plants  possess 
more  noble  ornamental  quali- 
ties than  Asiatic  magnolias, 
but  it  must  be  conceded  that 
while  young  they  are  some- 
what more  liable  to  injury  from 
sudden  changes  in  winter  and  early  spring  than  some  other 
plants.  This  is  a  weakness  truly,  but  such  excellence  is 
surely  worthy  of  a  little  protection  for  a  few  years  and 
frequent  transplanting  in  the  nursery  before  permanent 
setting  out,  in  order  to  secure  the  fibrous  roots  necessary  to 
successful  removal. 


JAPANESE     MAGNOLIA. 
(MAGNOLIA    STELLATA.) 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


47 


The  consideration  of  the  weakness  of  magnolias  reminds 
us  of  the  difficulties  in  growing  the  early  flowering  Euro- 
pean thorns  in  many  sections  of  this  country.  Notwith- 
standing the  blight  that  attacks  the  thorn,  it  is  easy  to  find 


ENGLISH  HAWTHORN.     (CRATAGUS  OXYACANTHA.) 


enough  healthy  specimens  here  and  there  to  warrant  our 
employing  it  in  well  drained,  rich,  loamy  soil.  The  early 
and  rich-hued  blossoms  of  the  thorn  give  it  a  charm  that 
must  always  make  it  welcome  as  one  of  our  choicest  spring 


48         SPRfNG  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


flowers.  Bright  bark  and  fresh  young  budding  foliage  add 
to  the  beauty  of  the  flowers,  but  the  flowers  are  quite  suffi- 
cient of  themselves  to  justify  the  renown  for  beauty  belong- 
ing of  old  to  the  hawthorn  of  England. 

This  hawthorn  has  been  improved  and  improved  until 
there  are  double  white  varieties,  double  pink,  double  scarlet, 

double     crimson,     or 
single  flowering  scar- 
let, pink,  etc.,  of  less 
striking     color      and 
form.     Paul's  double 
red  stands  very  high  among  red  haw- 
thorns, and  some  of  the  white  flower- 
ing   varieties    are    equally   excellent. 
Hawthorns  should  be  planted  either 
singly  or   in    groups    by   themselves. 
Their  peculiar  habit    does  not  allow 
them  to  form  entirely  harmonious  re- 
lations with  other  shrubs  in  the  same 
group. 

I  must  not  forget  to  mention  among 
eai-lv-bloouiino-  plants  the  low-ffrowine: 

ENGLISH   HAWTHORN. 

(CRATES  OXYACANTHA.)  form  of  J)eutzia  <? ra<citis,  piled  in  May 
with  masses  of  the  most  lovely  small  white  flowers. 
Florists  prize  the  flowers  of  the  Deuteia  gracilis  highly  for 
forcing,  and  no  more  attractive  snow-white  dainty  clusters 
can  be  found  on  any  of  the  hardy  plants  of  the  lawn. 

Nor  must  I  neglect  the  rich  purple  crimson  and  bronze- 
green  foliage  of  Azalea  amcena,  most  showy  of  very  dwarf 
shrubs. 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 


49 


There  is  one  plant,  also  of  kindred  type,  for  which  I 
must,  before  concluding,  express  my  admiration,  and  that  is 
Azalea  mollix.  Of  comparatively  recent  introduction  from 
Japan,  it  has  scarcely  as  yet  gained 
a  foothold  on  American  lawns.  At 
first  sight  one  might  fancy  it  a 
superior  form  of  the  ordinal'}'  but 
choice  and  lovely  hybrid  American 
or  Ghent  azalea,  which, 
in  a  general  way,  it 
doubtless  resembles. 

The  foliage  is  simi- 
lar, and  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  flower, 
at  a  little   distance,  of 
like  character,  but  the 
bloom  appears  at  least 
two  weeks  earlier  than 
that  of  the  Ghent  azalea, 
amining  the  flower  somewhat   nearer,  we  will 
recognize    immediately    its    superiority    to   the 
ordinary  form.    The  petals  are  twice  the  size,  as 
large  even  in  some  cases  as  those  of  the  rhodo- 
dendron, and  suffused  with  the  most  exquisite 
tints  of  orange,  saffron,  and  crimson.  Of  the  type, 
there  is  scarcely  anything  as  fine  on  the  lawn. 
On  beholding  the  beauty  of  Azalea  mollis  the  remark 
has  been  made  that  the  Ghent  azalea  must  be  superseded 
by  so  effective  a  flower  of  similar  character,  but  such  a 
thing  as  one  good  kind  entirely  superseding  another  good 


AZALEA    MOLLIS. 


Moreover,  on    ex- 


60         SPRfNG  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


kind  does  not  happen  in  the  intelligent  practice  of  lawn 
planting. 

Azalea  inollis  blooms  so  early  in  May  that  late  frosts  in 
rare  instances  succeed  in  blighting  its  beauty,  and  when 
young  the  plant  itself  is  sometimes  killed  by  very  severe 
winters.  Generally,  however,  the  Azalea  mollis  is  perfectly 
hardy  after  a  little  protection  for  two  or  three  years.  The 


TREE  PEONY. 


Ghent  or  American  azalea,  on  the  other  hand,  is  one  of  our 
hardiest  deciduous  shrubs  both  in  leaf  and  flower. 

The  tree  peony  should  not  be  forgotten.  It  is  hardy 
and  long-lived,  and,  unlike  the  herbaceous  peony,  it  has  a 
solid  bush  form.  The  flowers  are  splendid  in  color  and 
form,  superior  to  those  of  the  herbaceous  kind. 

A  word  in  conclusion  should  be  given  the  lilacs,  or 
syringas.  Some  of  them  bloom  profusely  and  others  do 
not,  but  their  flowers  seem  specially  lovely  in  early  spring, 


SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.        51 


with  their  delicate  purple  and  white  masses.  The  odor  at 
such  times  perfumes  the  air  delightfully.  Lilacs'  leaves, 
however,  suffer  from  scale  and  are  often  unhealthy.  The 
narrow-leaved  Chinese  and  Persian  sorts  have  been  usually, 
in  my  experience,  the  healthiest. 

While  speaking  of 
the  double-flowering 
fruit  trees  I  failed  to  call 
attention  to  the  double- 
flowering  almond,  whicli 
is  a  very  different  plant 
from  the  double-flower- 
ing peach,  though  nearly 
related.  It  is  dwarf  with 
slender-growing  stems 
and  erect  habit,  bearing 
in  early  spring  wreaths 
and  masses  of  small 
white  or  pinkish  flowers. 
Although  an  old  and 
well-known  shrub,  the 
double-flowering  al- 
mond is  a  gem  in  its  way  and  has  already  attained  great  popu- 
larity. Its  flowers  belong  to  the  time  of  spring  when  the 
Japan  quince  and  Forsythia  are  in  their  full  glory.  Only  by 
severe  pruning  immediately  after  the  bloom  can  the  flower- 
ing almond  be  constrained  to  bloom  freely  year  after  year. 
In  other  words,  it  is  a  poor  plant  without  pruning,  and 
this  remark  applies  to  the  Forsythia  and  many  other 
shrubs. 


COMMON   PURPLE  LILAC. 

(SYRINGA  VULGARI8.  ) 


52      SPRING  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 

We  Imve  thus  scanned  hastily  the  charming  lineaments 
of  our  spring  buds  and  flowers,  but  in  by  no  means  sufficient 
detail  to  realize  adequately  their  special  attractions,  and 
certainly  not  enough  to  secure  consideration  for  all  the 
varieties  adapted,  at  this  season,  for  adorning  the  lawn. 
Scattered  singly  about  the  place,  or  massed  each  kind  by 
itself  rather  than  mixed  greatly  with  other  plants,  all 
groups  of  shrubs  should  contain  on  the  outskirts  some  of 
these  spring  flowering  plants. 

In  a  word,  there  is  nothing  more  important  for  the 
fullest  enjoyment  of  the  lawn  than  the  continued  presence 
of  flowers  throughout  all  seasons  of  spring,  summer,  and 
autumn,  and  certainly  during  no  season  do  we  revel  in  a 
fuller  sense  of  gladness  in  the  presence  of  growing  nature 
than  during  the  budding  leaves  and  flowers  of  spring. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  JUNE  EFFECTS  ON 
THE  LAWN. 


'OUBTLESS  the  poet,  in  dwelling  on 
the  lovely  prime  of  summer  days  that 
comes  in  June,  saw  through  his  mind's 
eye  several  component  parts  that 
made  up  the  charming  whole.  There 
is  one  part,  however,  that  forms  so 
large  an  element  of  the  fairest  scenes 
of  a  June  day  that  I  shall  venture  to  dwell  exclusively  on 
this  most  interesting  feature  of  their  beauty. 

Sky  and  clouds  and  sunlight  and  the  songs  of  birds 
would  offer  their  delights  to  the  eye  with  half  their  bounty, 
if  vegetation,  i.e.,  grass  and  trees  and  shrubs,  were  absent. 
Even  the  odor  of  bursting  bloom  is  not  only  necessary  to 
the  fullest  effect,  but  we  would  feel  that  an  important  ele- 
ment had  been  lost  if  we  should  miss  the  scent  of  summer 
flowers.  More  than  at  any  other-  season  of  the  year,  does 
the  pleasure  of  odorous  bloom  characterize  the  early  days  of 
summer,  and  the  number  of  plants  that  possess  this  charm 
in  June  we  shall  find  by  no  means  small. 


54  JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 

The  very  ripe  and  rounded  perfection  of  flower  and  leaf 
enthrals  the  senses  in  June.  Nature  seems  now  to  have 
attained  to  a  deep,  profound  perfection  that,  while  it  com- 
municates rest  and  peace  and  absolute  satisfaction,  does  not 
in.  any  sense  enervate.  There  is  nothing  slumberous  in  the 
air  now  any  more  than  there  was  in  spring.  The  senses  are 
alert  and  keyed  to  the  finest  enjoyment  of  all  things  in  the 
heavens  above  and  the  earth  beneath.  We  look  out  on  this 
high  tide  of  the  year,  and  with  the  thought  of  the  Creator 
when  these  scenes  first  were  born,  declare  that  it  is  very 
good. 

And  of  all  this,  much,  as  we  have  seen,  is  due  to  trees 
and  shrubs,  to  leaves  and  flowers.  The  spring  is  the  time 
of  budding  beauty,  whether  of  leaf  or  flower ;  the  autumn, 
of  leaves  crimson  and  green,  or  brown  in  final  maturity  and 
decay ;  and  summer,  late  summer,  the  season  of  leaves  also, 
but  of  deep  rich  green,  shadowy  leaves. 

June,  however,  and  sometimes  May  even,  for  the  seasons 
move  not  entirely  by  returning  months,  is  the  time  of  leaves 
and  flowers.  It  is  the  best-dowered  portion  of  the  year  in 
the  way  of  perfected  vegetation.  I  cannot  tell  you  half  of 
its  treasures  of  tinted  flowers  and  exquisite  leaf,  and  will 
therefore  only  attempt  to  note  briefly  the  attractions  of  a 
few  of  the  plants  that  particularly  contribute  to  the  special 
character  of  these  perfect  days. 

But  what  shall  I  consider  first  ?  It  is,  indeed,  a  case  of 
positive  embarrassment  of  riches.  Perhaps  it  may  be  wise  to 
look  first  at  the  leaves  of  certain  trees,  and  then  to  those  of 
noteworthy  shrubs,  and  so  pass  to  the  crowning  effort  of 
this  gifted  time,  the  flowers  of  hardy  trees  and  shrubs.  I 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.          55 


would  not  be  thought  disregardful  of  the  supreme  charms 
of  hardy  herbaceous  plants  or  wild  flowers,  but  trees  and 
shrubs  must  always  form  the  main  body  of  the  effect  of 
lawn  planting,  and  so,  in  this  chapter  I  propose  to  restrict 
myself  to  the  consideration  of  their  peculiar  attractions. 

The  green  leaves  of  June  are  solid  and  rich,  and  produce 
the  main  broad  effects  of  foliage  in  early  summer  as  well  as 
later,  but  the  lawn-planter  who  fails  to  employ  all  the 
various  coloring  of  leaf  that  can  be  secured  so  easily  for  the 
lawn  at  this  season,  who  neglects  to  minister  in  full  measure 
to  the  universal  deep  enjoyment  of  color  as  displayed  in 
natural  associations  of  June  leaves  and  flowers  neglects  one 
half  his  art. 

First  and  foremost  among  the  hardy  plants  that  minister 
to  our  enjoyment  of  color  in  June  are  the  maples.  Not  all 
the  maples  are  thus  highly  gifted. 

The  scarlet  maple  has  borne  its  flowers  and  early  red 
leaf-buds,  and  now  looks  merely  green,  and  the  silver  dasy- 
<xtrpum  has  also  its  usual  green  color.  So  likewise  the  little 
English  field  maple,  and  the  sugar,  the  striped,  and  the  broad- 
leaved  maple  (Acer  macropJiyllum ) .  It  is  enough,  however, 
that  we  have  the  sycamore,  Norway,  ash-leaved,  Colchwum 
rubrum  (IcetumJ,  and  above  all,  the  several  unequalled 
Japanese  maples.  The  lawn  that  is  ornamented  with  these 
trees  alone  has  a  rich  variety  of  color  even  without  flowers. 

Let  us  look  at  these  maples.  The  sycamore  (Acer  Pseiido- 
Platanux  )  apparently  has  its  color  ready  at  hand  to  sport  in 
diverse  varieties  of  silver,  gold,  and  reddish  purple.  Syca- 
more maples,  in  their  simplest  type,  have  red  veinings  and 
mid-ribs,  and  especially  red  leaf  stalks.  There  are  several 


56          JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


varieties  of  these  variegated  and  purple-leaved  sycamores. 
The  simple  purple-leaved  is  one  of  the  most  effective,  and 
is  specially  ]_>eculiar  because  the  strong  purple  tinge  is  con- 
fined to  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  so  that  in  order  to  do  it 
justice  it  should  be  seen  more  or  less  ruffled  by  the  wind. 
Then  there  is  the  silver  variegated  and  golden-tinged  varie- 
ties, and  a  fine  distinct  kind  striped  and  barred  with  white 
and  red  and  green.  There  are  other  golden  varieties  vari- 
ously blotched  and  suffused  with  yellow,  such  as  Leopoldii 
or  Intescens,  and  n  purple-leaved  kind  more  variegated  in 
tint  than  the  one  generally  termed  purple-leaved,  and  which 
doubtless  is  the  best  variety  noteworthy  for  that  color. 

All  these  curiously  and  richly  tinted  maples  are,  however, 
peculiar  only  for  the  short  time  their  rich  colors  continue  to 
be  striking.  They  come  almost  with  June,  and  generally  go 
with  June,  for  the  heat  of  midsummer  dulls  them  sooner 
than  those  of  most  other  trees,  although  the  same  heat 
affects  unfavorably  the  abnormal  purple  and  gold  color  of 
nearly  all  deciduous  leaves. 

But  to  realize  the  effect  of  rich  color  in  June  we  must 
turn  to  the  varieties  of  Norway  maple,  Acer  platanoides, 
and  to  platauoides  Schwerdlerii  especially,  with  its  broad 
red  purple  leaves.  The  leaves  of  the  Norway  maple, 
in  any  case,  are  massive  and  noble.  They  are  not,  perhaps, 
larger  than  those  of  the  sycamore,  but  they  are  more  nume- 
rous, have  shorter  stems,  and  are  piled  together  in  a  more 
effective  manner. 

The  purple  Acer  platanoides  Schwerdlerii  glows  espe- 
cially when  viewed  against  strong  evening  or  morning  sun- 
light. At  such  times,  its  colors  literally  flash  and  sparkle. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.  57 


June,  or  late  May,  again  is  the  season  to  which  this  maple 
confines  the  display  of  its  charms.  Its  size  resembles  that 
of  its  parent,  the  common  Norway  maple.  Usually,  how- 
ever, variegated  trees  and  shrubs  are  apt  to  be  more  dwarf 
than  the  parent  form.  Acer  Lorbergii  is  another  red-leaved 
Norway  maple  of  considerable  value,  but  less  attractive  than 
A.  Schwerdlerii. 

I  must  also  mention  here  one  of  the  most  interesting  of 
maples,  Acer  Colck'icum  rubrum,  or  more  properly  Acer 
Icetum,  a  true  Japanese  maple,  although  sometimes  supposed 
to  come  from  the  region  of  the  Caucasus.  The  great  charm 
of  this  maple  lies  in  the  lovely  tints  of  its  young  growth  in 
June.  Young  red  leaves  and  leaf-stalks  at  this  season  com- 
pletely variegate  the  tree,  while  at  the  same  time  we  behold 
elegant  contours  and  refreshing  green  tints.  Otherwise  the 
tree  is  of  medium  size,  and,  unfortunately,  defective  in 
hardness  while  young  in  many  parts  of  the  United  States. 
Acer  Colchicum  rubrum  (Icetum)  is  rare  and  somewhat 
difficult  to  propagate,  as  well  as  slightly  tender,  and  there- 
fore deserves  a  position  both  prominent  and  protected. 

Maples  generally  make  a  most  interesting  feature  in 
June,  whether  for  their  young  growths  of  glowing  red  or 
for  their  refreshing  green.  I  question,  indeed,  whether  the 
lovely  colors  of  June  foliage  are  not  more  rich  and  varied 
among  maples  than  in  any  other  genus  of  hardy  trees. 

But  of  all  maples,  the  most  remarkable,  the  most  gifted  in 
color,  are  the  Japanese  maples.  Every  tint  of  green,  gold,  sil- 
ver, red,  and  purple  meet  and  commingle  on  their  elegantly 
and  most  strangely  formed  leaves.  The  many-formed  Japan- 
ese maple,  Acer  polymorphum,  is  positively  rainbow-dyed 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  'LA  WN. 


\ 


with  color,  but  other  kinds,  like  Acer  Japonicum,  with  its 
fine  red  flowers,  and  A.  Japonicum  aureum  are  perhaps  more 
noble  with  the  greater  mass  and  richness  of  color  of  their 

leaves.  The  subtle  beauty  of 
tint  and  form  among  these 
maples  all  combine  to  render 
them  (I  am  tempted  to  say) 
the  very  highest  de- 
velopment of  complex, 
delicate  beauty  among 
hardy  trees  and  shrubs. 
And  June  also  is  the 
month  wherein  we  may 
see  the  most  perfect 
development  of  Japan- 
ese maples.  Later  in 
the  season  their  tints 
are  liable,  like  those  of 
all  variegated-leaved 
plants,  to  become 
dulled  by  intense  heat.  Hot  summers  and  cold  winters  are 
indeed  liable  to  damage  them  at  times.  We  regret  to 
acknowledge  it,  but  nevertheless  it  is  an  undeniable  fact. 

Then  there  are  the  leaves  of  the  purple  birch,  not  only 
noteworthy  for  their  deep  purple  tints,  but  also  especially 
effective  in  combination  with  the  characteristic  white  bark 
of  the  European  birch,  of  which  it  is  a  variety.  As  a  single 
tree  this  birch  is  very  striking,  more  so  indeed  than  any 
other  purple-leaved  tree,  except  the  purple  beech,  which  in 
its  way  stands  supreme. 


JAPANESE  MAPLE. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.  59 


The  beeches,  indeed,  are  all  facile  princeps  among  trees, 
both  for  beauty  of  color  and  nobility  of  form.  No  trees 
have  cleaner-cut  and  more  elegant  contours  of  trunk  and 
adjacent  branching,  and  few  more  symmetry  combined  with 
picturesqueness.  As  we  look  at  them,  the  thought  at  once 
arises  how  complete  and  enduring  they  look,  what  a  sense 
of  reserve  power  and  noble  perfection  they  convey. 

And  among  them,  perhaps  among  all  trees,  the  purple 
beech  stands  pre-eminent  for  broad  masses  of  rich  glowing 
leaves  in  June.  If  we  look  at  the  young  growth  of  the 
purple  beech  against  the  evening  or  morning  sun  we  shall 
find  displayed  a  peculiarly  rich  sparkling  red,  quite  inde- 
scribable. The  finest  tints  appear  on  the  outer  portions  of 
the  foliage,  where  the  sun's  magical  influence  can  work 
most  effectually.  August  finds  broad,  shining  masses  of 
more  or  less  purple  leaves  on  this  beech  when  viewed  from 
certain  directions,  but  its  prime  is  past  for  color,  although 
it  still  holds  high  rank  for  its  other  excellent  qualities. 

Another  interesting  tree  for  color  of  foliage  is  the  Keel- 
reuteria.  Its  ornamental  value,  though  much  inferior  to 
that  of  the  purple  beech,  is  considerable  on  account  of  the 
warm,  sunny  tone  and  peculiar  feathery  conformation  of  the 
foliage  on  the  outer  ends  of  the  branches. 

Among  shrubs,  a  fine  dark  purple-  or  red-leaved  shrub 
during  June  is  the  purple  berberry.  It  is  generally  richer- 
colored  than  most  purple-leaved  trees  and  shrubs,  but  in 
June  the  color  is  particularly  fine  on  the  new  growth. 

Another  shrub  of  as  rich  color  in  its  way  is  the  dwarf 
variegated-leaved  Weigelia.  Both  have  rich,  pure  golden 
tints,  but  the  dwarf  variegated  Weiyelia  is  the  most  useful 


60         JUNE  EFFECTS  ON   THE  LAWN. 


for  lawn-planting,  because  it  forms  one  of  the  limited  class 
of  shrubs  suited  for  occupying  the  outskirts  of  shrub- 
gi-oups,  or  some  limited  space  where  low,  compact-growing 
plants  are  specially  valuable.  It  is  a  thrifty,  vigorous 
shrub,  well  known,  and  deservedly  popular. 

The  purple  hazel  shows  very  rich  colors  in  June.  Its 
leaves  are  deep  purple,  us  deep  as  those  of  the  purple  beech, 
but  it  is  more  straggling  in  habit  than  the  purple  beech  and 
otherwise  less  attractive,  although  a  valuable  ornamental 
shrub.  Its  main  fault  is  a  tendency  to  winter-kill  at  the 
tips,  but  the  effect  of  this  is  to  dwarf  the  plant  rather  than 
to  do  it  any  other  harm. 

And  thus  you  have  briefly,  and  with  scant  justice  I  con- 
fess, a  rapid  survey  of  the  best  purple-  and  variegated- 
leaved  trees  and  shrubs  specially  effective  in  June.  It 
is  my  desire  to  gain  by  means  of  this  consideration  a 
greater  and  more  enthusiastic  regard  for  the  lich,  subtle 
tints  of  the  leaves  of  trees  and  shrubs,  whether  used  singly 
or  in  groups,  and  certainly  nothing  can  illustrate  better 
these  wonderful  colors  of  hardy  plants  than  the  phases 
presented  in  June  by  the  trees  and  shrubs  just  mentioned. 

Let  us  turn  now  to  the  flowers  of  trees  and  shrubs  in 
June.  They  make  in  truth  the  crown  and  summit  of 
nature's  summer  efforts.  Full,  fresh  vigor  at  this  high  tide 
of  the  year  intensifies  the  loveliness  of  all  vegetation,  but 
flowers  are  specially  lovely  now,  both  for  numbers  and  de- 
lightful color  and  odor.  How  and  where  shall  I  begin  ? 
It  would  seem  actually  as  if  all  flowers  bloomed  at  this 
season,  and  one  might  easily  construct  a  most  attractive 
lawn  of  exclusively  June  flowering  plants. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


(31 


Very  numerous  and  distinguished  are  the  flowering 
shrubs  of  June,  but  the  more  noteworthy  trees  perhaps 
should  have  our  first  attention.  If  the  horse-chestnut  were 
as  fine  in  August  as  June,  it  is  possible  we  might  deem  it 
as  valuable  an  ornamental  tree  as  the  Norway  maple  or 
purple  beech.  In  addition  to  finely  rounded  contours  and 


HORSE-CHESTNUT  TREES,  CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK. 

broad  light-green  foliage,  the  horse-chestnut  has  conspicuous 
flowers  in  May,  which  few  hardy  trees  have  at  any 
time  of  the  year.  And  what  lovely  flowers  the  horse- 
chestnut  has  !  There  are  many  varieties  distinguished  by 
either  peculiar  leaves  or  flowers  shaded  with  various  de- 
grees of  white  and  pink,  but  perhaps  the  finest  of  all  is  the 
red-flowering  horse-chestnut.  The  odor  of  the  flower  is  not, 


62 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


in  any  of  the  varieties,  specially  attractive,  but  the  color  of 
the  lic-li  ml  tlowcrs  is  very  beautiful,  particularly  if  the  hue 
of  the  leaf  is  light-gold,  like  several 
varieties  that  are  by  no  means  rare. 
Indeed,  few  more  attractive  objects 
can  be  seen  on  the  lawn  than  a  red- 
flowering  horse-chestnut  in  full 
bloom,  and  its  beauty  is  specially 
peculiar  to  the  months  of 
May  and  June. 

The  catalpa  should  be  men- 
tioned doubtless  for  its  large 
purple  flowers  in  July.  These 
flowers  grow  in   spikes  and 
are  attractive.     It  is  a  hardy, 
large-leaved  tree,  but  strag- 
gling and  irregular  in  appearance. 
Among  summer-flowering  trees, 

RED-FLOWERING  HORSE-CHESTNUT. 

(*KULI»  RHONDA.)  however,    if    not    among   summer- 

flowering  shrubs,  the  white  fringe  ( Chionantlius  Vircjinica) 
stands  almost  pre-eminent,  whether  we  view  it  as  a  shrub 
or  tree.  The  foliage,  to  begin  with,  is  broad,  solid,  and 
lustrous,  rich  enough  to  make  the  fortune  of  any  ordinary 
plant.  Yet  in  June  we  forget  this  attractive  foliage  as  we 
lose  ourselves  in  admiration  of  the  cloud-like  mass  of  fleecy 
flowers,  which,  examined  closely,  seems  veritable  lace  of  the 
most  delicate  texture.  So  numerous  are  these  flowers  that 
I  have  seen  a  specimen  of  white  fringe  stand  out  against  a 
background  of  dark  evergreens  like  a  pure  white  cloud 
attached  to  the  greensward.  The  fringe-tree  is  choice, 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


63 


and  by  no  means  common,  though  a  well-known  plant.  It 
behaves  well  during  the  most  trying  vicissitudes,  whether 
of  winter  or  of  transplanting.  It  needs  little  or  no  pruning, 
and  should  occupy  the  most  distinguished 
positions  on  the  lawn. 

The  laburnum  is  a  lovely  tree  of  medium 
size,  with  June  flowers  of  exceeding  beauty, 
long  clusters  of  yellow  blossoms,  which 
often  sport  remarkably  in  color,  turning 
sometimes  to  a  deep  purple.     There  are 
several  varieties  of  both  the  Scotch  and 
common  laburnum,   but   they   resemble 
each  other  much,  and  what  differences 
do  exist  are  somewhat  difficult  to  define 
in  words  that  would  be  in- 
telligible  to  the  ordinary 
reader.   The  laburnum  can 
hardly  ever  be  a  popular 
tree  throughout  America, 
for  it  suffers  from  blight  in 
many  sections  to  a  degree 
that  is  discouraging  to  the 
lawn-planter. 

Many  trees  have  such 
beauty  of  foliage  in  June 
as  to  fairly  overshadow 
the  attractions  of  the  flowers.  The  tulip  tree  ( Lirioden- 
di'on  Tulipifera)  is  a  notable  instance  of  this  peculiarity. 
Notwithstanding  its  flowers  are  so  curiously  and  finely 
formed  and  tinted,  we  scarcely  notice  them  at  first  glance 


WHITE-FLOWERING  HORSE-CHESTNUT. 

(/tSCULUS    RUBICUNDA.) 


64         JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 

buried  as  they  are  among  the  broad,  glistening  and  beautiful 
leaves.  These  flowers  bear  a  distinct  resemblance  to  those 

of  the  bulbous  tulip,  and 
cannot  therefore  be  other 
than  interesting. 

But  let  us  turn  again 
to  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant families  of  flowering 
plants  to  be  seen  upon  the 
lawn.  I  refer  to  the  mag- 
nolias. Few  genera  show 
bloom,  by  means  of  one  or 
other  of  their  varieties,  as 
long  as  the  magnolias. 
From  mid- April  to  mid- 
summer we  fail  not  to  have 

beautiful  flowers  on  some  one  of  these  plants.  In  June  we 
have  at  least  eight  or  ten  species  and  varieties  presenting  their 
full  glory  of  inflorescence.  Old  familiar  forms  are  here,  as 
well  as  one  or  two  as  rare  as  any  plant  to  be  found  on  the 
choicest  lawn.  Nothing  should  be  more  familiar  among  trees 
than  the  cucumber  tree  (Magnolia  acuminata),  but  its 
flowers  in  June  are  of  moderate  size  and  somewhat  in- 
significant in  appearance  with  their  greenish-yellow  tints. 

A  much  finer  variety  than  M.  acuminata  is  M.  cordata, 
an  American  tree  not  very  unlike  the  cucumber  tree,  but 
far  more  choice  and  uncommon.  It  has  a  fine  pyramidal 
shape,  and  a  comparatively  small  heart-shaped  leaf,  whence 
the  name.  Magnolia  cordata  is  a  strangely  disregarded 
ornamental  plant,  exhibiting  one  of  those  curious  in- 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN.         65 


stances  of  the  neglect  with  which  we  treat  our  finest  native 
trees. 

A  better  and  more  widely  known  June  flowering  mag- 
nolia is  M.  glauca,  the  common,  sweet-scented,  white  swamp 
magnolia  often  sold  by  boys  in  our  railroad  cars.  Of  all 
the  better-known  magnolias,  whether  American  or  Asiatic, 
this  has  by  far  the  sweetest  scent.  It  is  a  comparatively 
low-growing  shrub,  however,  and  bears  numerous  flowers, 
therein  differing  greatly  from  most  other  summer-blooming 
magnolias. 

There  are  two  or  three  interesting  varieties  of  Magnolia 
glauca,  such  as  M.  Thompsoniana  and  longifoUa.  The 
first  is  remarkable  for  its  sweet  odor,  and  the  latter  for  long, 
ornamental  leaves,  and  also  for  a  harder  nature  than  M. 
Thompsoniana,  which  is  sometimes  lacking  in  this  respect. 
M.  glauca  is  generally  quite  hardy,  although  I  have  known 
winters  severe  enough  to  nip  its  young  growth,  especially 
if  that  young  growth  was  not  sufficiently  matured  during 
the  previous  fall. 

But  of  all  American  deciduous  magnolias,  the  most 
noteworthy  is  the  great  Magnolia  macrophylla  with  large 
leaves  two  feet  in  length,  and  so  like  in  size  and  general 
aspect  to  those  of  the  palm  of  the  tropics,  that  scarcely  any 
other  hardy  tree  of  the  North  suggests  Oriental  vigor  in  the 
same  degree.  Amid  these  huge  broad  leaves,  we  find  great 
€up-like  flowers,  which  are  curiously  monstrous,  rather  than 
beautiful.  A  foot  wide  the  white  petals  extend,  and  the 
cup  in  the  centre  Avould  hold  nectar  for  the  quaffing  of  gods 
rather  than  fairies,  who  are  usually  credited  with  using 
flowers  for  chalices.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this  great 


66         JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


striking  flower  dispenses  a  distinctly  disagreeable  odorr 
otherwise  it  would  be  a  tree  of  specially  excellent  orna- 
mental qualities. 

Magnolia  tripetala  likewise  blooms  in  late  May  and 
early  June  in  its  home  in  America.  Except  Magnolia  macro- 
phylla,  there  is  no  larger-leaved  native  magnolia  than 
tripetala,  hence  the  common  name  umbrella  magnolia. 
This  large  foliage  lends  a  grand  aspect  to  a  well-grown 
specimen  of  Magnolia  tripetala,  and  in  other  ways  it  proves. 
itself  much  superior  to  M.  acuminata.  The  flowers  are 
creamy  or  yellowish-white  in  color,  rather  than  greenish- 
white  like  those  of  M.  acuminata. 

Turning  to  the  Asiatic  magnolias,  we  find  several  othe~ 
varieties  that  bloom  finely  in  June.  There  are  one  or  i/wa 
late-blooming  Asiatic  varieties,  that,  long  known  in  this 
country,  have  failed  to  make  a  favorable  impression  because, 
like  M.  Kobus,  for  instance,  they  bloom  seldom  and  sparsely 
and  only  in  late  maturity.  Two  recently  introduced  mag- 
nolias are,  however,  free  from  all  such  objections,  and  have, 
besides,  very  decided  advantages  peculiar  to  themselves. 

They  are  termed  respectively  M.  liypoleuca  and  M. 
parviflora,  or  Wateonii,  and  are  rare.  We  have  seen  already 
that  few  summer-blooming  magnolias  have  flowers  that  will 
bear  comparison  with  many  other  blossoms  of  June ;  hence 
the  two  magnolias,  liypoleuca  and  parviftora,  become  doubly 
valuable  on  account  of  the  late  season  at  which  their 
flowers  appear. 

Let  us  look  at  them  a  moment.  They  impress  us  as 
noble  trees,  not  as  shrubs,  bearing  in  this  way  a  certain 
resemblance  to  M.  tripetala.  The  foliage  of  M.  hypoleuca 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.  67 


is  more  like  that  of  tripetala  than  perhaps  any  other 
magnolia,  although  it  has  also  a  fine  distinct  character  of  its 
own.  Of  a  bright  silver  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf, 
whence  the  name  hypoleuca,  the  beauty  of  the  foliage  is 
made  still  more  attractive  by  a  distinct  flush  of  red  per- 
vading the  leaf  stem,  mid-rib,  and  even  the  more  complex 
veiniug  of  the  leaf.  Held  up  against  the  light  the 
appearance  of  this  leaf  is  fine,  but  the  flower,  nevertheless, 
forms  the  chief  attraction  of  this  as  well  as  of  all  other 
magnolias.  It  blooms  in  June,  is  large  and  milk-white,  and 
above  all  is  very  sweet-scented,  qualities  that  would  render 
valuable  any  flower,  but  joined  to  the  other  characteristic 
traits  of  the  magnolia  they  become  doubly  precious. 

When  the  31.  hypoleiwa  was  first  seen  in  this  country, 
it  was  believed  that  the  highest  development  in  the  way 
of  a  June-flowering  magnolia  had  been  obtained,  but  this 
proved  not  to  be  the  case.  ^Icujnolia  parvijlora  has  shown 
itself,  even  during  the  short  time  it  has  been  introduced,  the 
gem  of  the  entire  collection  of  magnolias  ;  finer,  perhaps, 
in  the  sense  of  combining  the  greatest  number  of  excellent 
qualities,  and  certainly  much  the  best  for  the  exquisite 
character  of  its  odor. 

In  a  greenhouse  one  hundred  feet  long,  the  scent  of  the 
flowers  borne  on  a  young  plant  of  this  magnolia  is  delight- 
fully apparent  throughout  the  entire  length  of  the  building. 
Magnolia  hypoleuca  has  certainly  a  delightful  odor,  but  this 
odor  of  M.  parviflora  is  more  pungent,  more  delicious 
and  subtle.  The  petals  and  their  arrangement  suggest 
those  of  M.  glauca,  but  they,  as  well  as  the  leaves  and 
entire  plant,  are  much  larger,  and  the  centre  of  the  flower 


68 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 


acquires  far  greater  beauty  from  a  deep-crimson  flush  that 
suffuses  the  very  curious  and  formal  arrangement  of  pistils 
and  stamens.  This  arrangement  and  color  give  the  flower 
the  appearance  of  having  a  deep-red  heart.  The  foliage 
and  general  habit  of  M.  par-viflora  is  neat  and  thrifty. 

The  purple  fringe,  Rlius  cotinus,  although  somewhat  in- 
ferior to  the  white  fringe  in  general  characteristics,  and  to 
which,  indeed,  it  bears  no  relation  except  in  name,  is  exqui- 
sitely subtle  and  lovely  in  the  coloring  of  its  flowers.  These 
flowers  come  in  June  and  envelop  the  entire  bush  or  tree 
in  rosy-purple,  rounded  masses  of  soft,  fleecy  clouds.  It  is 
well-named  the  smoke  tree,  for  I  know  nothing  to  which 
the  disposition  and  coloring  of  its  small,  numerous  flowers 
can  be  more  aptly  compared  than  a  mass  of  smoke  suffused 
and  penetrated  with  sunlight. 

On   first    turning    to    the    consideration    of    summer- 

flowering  plants,  we  are 
at  once  attracted  to  the 
most  splendidly  gifted 
of  the  entire  class,  viz.  : 
Rhododendrons  and 
lianh  a/alcas.  They 

seem  intended  to  be 
grouped  together  and 
are  usually  employed 
in  that  way.  The  azalea 
is,  in  every  way,  smaller 
fa^  foQ  rhododendron, 
and  when  planted  on  the  outskirts  of  a  group  of  the  latter, 
shade  off  harmoniously  the  outline  of  a  mass  of  the  former. 


RHODODENDRON. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


t>9 


PINXTER    FLOWER. 

(AZALEA    NUDIFLORA.  ) 


The  flowers  also  of  these  two  shrubs  serve  to  perfect 
each  other  when  associated  together.  One,  the  rhododen- 
dron, is  splendid,  glowing 
and  complex  in  detail ;  the 
other,  choice,  exquisite,  sim- 
pler in  form,  and  yet  most 
subtly  and  richly  tinted.  It 
is  difficult  to  decide  on  the 
comparative  excellence  of 
their  beauties,  because  these 
beauties  are  so  individual 
and  different.  For  the  rho- 
dodendron, we  can  say  it 
has  more  effective,  shining  evergreen  foliage,  but  on  the 
other  hand,  the  hardy  azalea  endures  more  steadfastly  win- 
ter and  summer  vicissitudes. 
Such  plants  as  these 
should  be  employed  in  fa- 
vored nooks,  on  a  hillside, 
if  possible,  where  the  eye 
may  look  down  upon  their 
charms.  The  employment 
of  both  of  these  attractive 
plants  is  rapidly  becoming 
an  actual  necessity  to  the 
well-ordered  lawn. 

Nor  does  the  fact  that  the 
rhododendron      occasionally 
suffers  from  sudden  changes,  both  in  summer  and  winter, 
seriously  check  its  growing  popularity.     Many,  in  fact,  are 


BROAD  LEAVED  LAUREL. 
(KALMIA  LATIFOLIA.  .1 


70  JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 

already  learning  that  a  little  protection  by  planting  in  the 
lee  of  other  trees,  and  a  practical  consideration  of  the  pedi- 
gree of  the  variety  used,  considered  with  regard  to  the  more 
or  less  hardy  nature  of  its  ancestors,  will  secure  general 
results  of  the  most  satisfactory  character.  Azalea  nudi- 
flora  is  a  good  example  of  this  genuine  American  plant 
of  the  azalea  type. 

In  this  connection,  however,  I  must  not  fail  to  offer  meet 
tribute  to  the  excellent  beauty  of  the  common  laurel  of 
the  American  woods,  Kalmia  latifolia.  While  its  flowers, 
perhaps,  are  not  as  splendid  in  form  and  mass  as  those  of  the 
rhododendron,  nor  as  vaiied  and  subtle  in  coloring  as  those 
of  the  hardy  azalea,  the  curious,  quaint  construction  of  its 
flower-cup  is  yet  quite  as  distinguished  in  its  way  for  its 
exquisite  daintiness  and  charming  symmetry.  It  surpasses 
the  rhododendron,  moreover,  in  hardiness,  and  possesses  the 
attraction  of  comparatively  large  evergreen  leaves,  which 
the  deciduous  hardy  azalea  does  not  possess.  When  grown 
in  the  nursery,  i.  e.,  transplanted  now  and  then,  the  Kalmia 
latifolia  may  be  readily  moved  at  any  age,  but  to  tear  old 
plants  from  their  native  haunts  in  woodland  nooks  and 
plant  them  successfully  on  the  lawn,  has  been  repeatedly 
proved  to  be  a  difficult  operation. 

As  we  give  our  attention  more  closely  to  deciduous 
shrubs,  we  are  impressed  by  the  number  of  specially  note- 
worthy genera  that  distinguish  themselves  in  June  either  by 
their  foliage  or  their  flowers.  What  a  lovely  group,  for 
instance,  are  the  various  June-blooming  spireas. 

There  were,  as  we  remember,  fine  spring-flowering  spi- 
reas like  S.  Tlmnbergii,  but  how  lovely,  also,  are  June- 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.         71 

flowering  S.  Reevesiana,fl.  pi.  and  S.  trilobate,  a  similar  but 
still  more  attractive  species.  The  branches  of  these  spireas 
hang  during  June  in  the  most  graceful  curves  studded  to 
their  very  tips  with  lovely  rosettes  of  pure  white  flowers. 

Then  there  is  £  prunifolia  with  upright  habit,  neat, 
bright  green  leaves  and  numerous  white  flowers  coming  in 
late  May  oftener  than  in  June.  Red-flowering  S.  Fortunei 
and  Fortunei  macropln/lla  and  Iwvigata  are  also  June-flower- 
ing, while  among  other  kinds  blooming  in  the  same  month 
may  be  noted  the  choice  and  delicate  little  spireas  bella  and 
aricefolia  and  the  more  common-looking  and  larger-growing 
diamcedrifolia,  nepalensis,  and  ulmifolia. 

One  of  the  most  striking  of  all  spireas  on  the  lawn, 
however,  is  the  June-flowering  S.  opulifolia  aurea.  The 
leaves  of  8.  opulifolia  aurea  are  broader  and  larger  than 
those  of  any  other  spirea,  which  is  generally  a  small-leaved 
race,  and  the  colors,  especially  at  this  season,  are  delicate 
shades  of  gold.  Indeed  so  effective  is  this  golden  color 
that  had  the  white  flowers  studding  the  entire  stem  been 
less  lovely  I  would  have  classed  it  among  the  golden-  and 
purple-leaved  plants.  If  we  add  to  these  qualities  excep- 
tional vigor  and  hardiness,  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  8. 
opulifolia  aurea  is  a  shrub  peculiarly  adapted  to  lawn 
planting.  Indeed  the  general  habit  and  the  flowers  render 
the  common  type  opulifolia  almost  as  fine  as  the  golden 
variety. 

But  I  must  not  linger  on  these  interesting  spireas  too 
long,  while  there  are  other  interesting  June-flowering 
shrubs  waiting  to  claim  our  attention.  Every  well-planted 
lawn  must  have  some  Philadelphtises  or  mock  oranges,  with 


72 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


June  flowers  like  veritable  orange  blossoms.  Philadd- 
phus  cormiarim  is  the  most  sweet-scented  and  in  other 
ways  the  best  variety,  although  grati- 
diftoruSj  laxus,  speciosus,  etc.,  are  larger 
and  more  easily  propagated.  There 
is  a  fine  dwarf  golden  Philadelphus 
that  does  not  receive  the  attention  it 
should. 

A  well-known  JmJe-flowering  ge- 
nus of  shrub  is  the  Deutzia,  not 
Deutzia  gracilis  only,  but  Deutzia 
crenata,  fl.  pi.,  a  Japan  plant,  strong- 
growing,  and  bear- 
ing masses  of  attrac- 

tive pinkish-white  flowers, 

and   also   the   smaller   D. 

scabra,  fl.  pi.     There 

are      also      Deutzias 

Fortunei.  crenata  and 

Stfflfo^     both      intei'eSt- 

ing,  hardy,  rapid-growing  shrubs. 
The  vigorous  bright-green  bush 
honeysuckles  are  also  attractive  in 
June,  with  the  red  and  white 
flowers  of  Tartarwa,  the  white  of 
excellent  drooping  fragmntissima, 
and  the  yellow  and  yellowish-red  of 
wylosteum,  flexuosa,  and  Ledebowrii. 

The    sweet-scented    shrubs    Calycanthus  floridu*   and 
C.  Icevigatus  likewise  offer  the    spicy   fragrance    of    their 


GORDON'S   MOCK    ORANGE. 

(PH.LADELPHU8  OORDONiANUS.) 


DEUTZIA  CRENATA.    FL.   PL. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


73 


chocolate-brown  buds    and   broad  rich  foliage.     These  are 

choice  shiiibs  and  can  scarcely  be  used  too  much  in  the 

salient  points  of  shrub  groups. 

Exocliorda  grandiflora  should  have 

been    mentioned    perhaps    among  the 

spireas,  where  it  properly  belongs,  but 

it  is  so  different  in  every  way,  so 
specially  suited  to 
distinct  single  posi- 
tions, that  I  have 
ventured  to  consider 

it     apart      from      the      "OCHORDA  QRAND.FLORA. 

other  varieties.  Few  shrubs  are  more 
difficult  to  propagate  than  this  spirea, 
hence  its  reputation  for  rarity  and  choice- 
ness.  But  aside 
from  these  quali- 
ties the  leaves  and 
flowers  of  this 
plant  are  very  at- 
tractive, the leaves 
for  their  light 
green,  slightly 
bluish  tint,  and 
the  flowers  for 
their  number  and 
pure  white  color, 
wonderfully 
bright  and  effective  in  mass.  The  general  habit  of  the 
plant  is  broad,  bushy,  and  vigorous.  In  this  climate  the 


YELLOW    JAPANESE 

KERRIA. 
(KERRIA  JAPONICA.) 


SWEET-SCENTED  SHRUB. 

(.CAUYCANTHU8    FLORIDU8.) 


74 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


flowers  appear  in  late  May  and  early  June.  The  pretty, 
small-leaved  Kerria  Japonica  also  bears  attractive  yellow 
flowers  in  June  and  makes  an  interesting  shrub  on  the 
outskirts  of  shrub  plantations. 

Among  the  large  shrubs  specially  suited  to  the  centre  of 
a  mass  of  deciduous  foliage  are  the  Weigelias  or  Diervillas. 
They  are  rapid-growing,  bearing  abun- 
dant leaves  and  flowers,  and  are  generally 
popular.  They  form  one  of  our  staple 
plants  for  the  construction  of  any  group 
of  shrubs.  Some  of  the  ^Veigelias  bear 
light-red  and  others  striped  flowers. 
Weigelia  rosea  is  justly  considered  one 
of  the  best  kinds. 

Among  the  most  attractive  of  June- 
flowering  shrubs  is  Tamarix  Africana. 
There  are  one  or  two  other  kinds  that 
bloom   during  this   month,   but   none 
better  than  T.  Africana.    The  charac- 
teristic feathery  habit  and  great  vigor 
of    the    tamarisks    renders   Africana 
specially  valuable  in  a  group  of  shrubs 
where  variety  of   form    and   beauty  of 
flower  are  desired.     There    are    several 

RED  FLOWERING  WEIGELIA.    ,     ,       ,   ,  .  .    ,  ~     77  . 

(wEioEUA  ROSEA.)  late- blooming  tamarisks,  such  as  (jf-aUwa 
and  Indica,  which  makes  this  June-flowering  Africana 
particularly  valuable.  Pruning  is  absolutely  essential  to 
keep  the  lanky  growth  of  tamarisks  in  subjection. 

We  come  now  to  a  very  noteworthy  genus  among  June- 
flowering  shrubs.     The  snowball  or  viburnum  genus  is  a 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


75 


large  one,  but  only  half  a  dozen  hardy  varieties  are 
thoroughly  well  suited  to  lawn  planting.  The  common 
snowball  (  Viburnum  opulus)  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most 
generally  useful  on  the  lawn,  because  it  is  fine,  singly  or  in 
mass.  It  grows  vigorously,  and  is  broad,  and  bears  numer- 
ous balls  of  snow-white  blossoms.  The  only  serious  fault  it 
has  is  an  openness 
of  foliage  or  naked- 
ness of  stern  that 
makes  it  less  effec- 
tive when  planted 
singly  than  it  would 
otherwise  be. 

As  a  June-flower- 
ing viburnum,  how- 
ever, there  is  nothing 
like  the  Japan  snow- 
ball (  Viburnum  pli- 
catuni),  already  spo- 
ken of  in  the  high- 
est terms  elsewhere. 
Dark  green  and  glos- 
sy leaves,  crinkled  and  compact,  especially  if  well  pruned, 
and  large  white  balls  of  flowers,  persistently  retained  on 
the  plant  for  weeks,  are,  as  we  have  also  seen,  its  distin- 
guishing characteristics.  Good  judges  have  commended 
this  plant  as  in  many  senses  the  best  of  deciduous  shrubs. 

Another  June-flowering  shrub  of  considerable  merit 
should  not  be  neglected.  Lycium  larbarum,  etc.,  is  an  old 
plant,  but  very  pretty,  especially  when  trailing  over  rock- 


VIBURNUM  OPULUS. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


work.  The  flowers  are  small  and  of  a  purple  or  violet  color. 
Many  of  these  fine  old  hardy  plants  are  in  danger  of  being 
forgotten  in  the  rush  for  uew  and  rare  varieties. 

A  special  glory  of  June,  a  glory  entirely  unequalled 
in  its  way  at  any  other  time  of  the  year,  is  found  in  the 
several  genera  of  hardy  climbing  vines.  Many  of  them  are, 
of  course,  familiar  to  the  reader,  and  probably  none  more 
so  than  the  honeysuckles.  They  make  a  numerous  family 

of  varieties,  with  thick, 
glossy  green  leaves 
and  abundant  sweet- 
scented  flowers.  The 
Belgian,  or  striped 
monthly,  red  and 
white,  is  perhaps  at 
once  best  known  and 
most  generally  popu- 
lar. Canadensis  is  pink 
and  straw  color,  with 
the  straw  color  pre- 
dominating. One  of 
the  best  yellow  ones, 
indeed  one  of  the  best 
of  all  honeysuckles,  is 
Halkana  from  Japan. 

This  varie<y  is  ever- 

green  to  a  very  consid- 
erable degree,  which 
much  increases  its  value.  Then  in  June  there  are  lovely 
clematises,  that  love  to  climb  over  stumps  or  on  a  screen  or 


FOUR  GOOD  CLEMATISES. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN.         77 

trellis  of  wood.  The  prevailing  colors  of  the  June-blooming 
types  are  purple  and  white,  and  these  colors  are  of  the 
purest,  richest  tint.  Open-petalled,  large,  sometimes  ten 
inches  in  diameter,  star-shaped,  these  flowers  gather  in  close 
masses  among  small,  inconspicuous  leaves.  The  best  per- 
haps is  Jackmanii,  for  free  blooming  and  general  hardi- 
ness, but  there  are  excellent  varieties  among  the  lighter- 
colored  lanuginosct,  and  patens  type.  All  these  June 
clematises  should  be  pruned  after  they  have  finished  flower- 
ing, so  as  to  secure  a  vigorous  growth  and  bloom  for  the 
following  year. 

The  curious  and  rare  Japan  climbing  hydrangea  also  is 
a  June-flowering  vine.  It  has  dark-green,  long-stalked, 
cordate  leaves,  sharply  toothed,  and  white  hydrangea-like 
flowers  in  loose  clusters.  Like  ivy,  it  throws  out  multi- 
tudes of  rootlets,  and  clings  well  to  stonework. 

During  some 
seasons  the  Wis- 
taria  is  a  June- 
flowering      vine, 
but    whether    it 
blooms  in  May  or  June,  its 
grape-like  clusters  of  purple 
flowers,  piled  among  picturesque 
and  tossing  masses  of  light-green 
leaves    and    tendrils,   are    always 
beautiful.     There  is  a  beautiful 
white  variety  that  is  particularly 

effective.     The  two  colors  may  be  finely  contrasted  by 
setting  out  the  two  kinds  near  each  other  and  letting 


78          JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 


their  growths  mingle.  The  illustration  on  the  opposite  page 
shows  an  arbor  in  Central  Park  covered  with  Wistaria  that 
always  exhibits  the  flowers  with  excellent  effect. 

Nor  should  we  pass  unnoticed  on  this  occasion  the  sum- 
mer charms  of  the  two  best  climbing  roses,  Baltimore  Belle 
and  Queen  of  the  Prairies.  There  are  other  excellent 
varieties  of  climbing  roses,  but  they  do  not  surpass,  and 
hardly  supplement,  the  excellent  qualities  of  these  two  well- 
known  kinds. 

Pages  might  be  profitably  devoted  to  the  consideration 
of  the  June-flowering  qualities  of  hardy  roses  generally,  of 
the  Gen.  Jacqueminots,  Baronne  Prevosts,  Mad.  Plantiers, 
and  a  thousand  others,  but  in  the  brief  way  in  which  we 
are  studying  June  lawns,  we  can  afford  to  simply  touch  on 
the  employment  of  roses  as  a  class.  To  their  magnificent 
tints  and  forms  no  pen  can  do  adequate  justice,  and  their 
excellence  has  moreover  become  a  household  word.  We 
may  profitably,  however,  devote  a  few  lines  to  some  brief 
suggestions  for  the  development  of  the  most  abundant  and 
best  rose  blooms,  and  for  the  disposition  of  rose  bushes  on 
the  lawn. 

In  the  first  place,  to  get  the  best  roses,  the  soil  where 
the  plant  is  grown  should  be  a  rich  sandy  loam  and  not 
clay,  and  then  the  old  growth  of  last  year  should  always  be 
cut  back  almost  to  the  ground,  or,  if  the  plant  is  already 
old,  almost  to  the  main  stem.  Rose  bugs  and  blight  are  apt 
to  make  rose  bushes,  unless  carefully  tended,  somewhat 
unsightly  objects  on  the  lawn  in  spite  of  their  grand 
flowers.  Of  course  this  need  not  be  so,  but  we  should 
recognize  the  danger  squarely,  and  if  we  cannot  be  sure  of 


'     «  V        V  i'-^N 

®  '&^M,Mi 


80  JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


giving  our  roses  the  right  amount  and  kind  of  attention,  at 
least  we  should  plant  them  in  retired  nooks  in  the  shelter- 
ing skirts  of  other  plantations. 

The  Rosa  rugosa  from  Japan,  however,  is  an  exception  to 
this  rule,  as  its  leaves  are  entirely  healthy  and  hardy  in  all 
exposures.  The  leaves  are  dark-green,  crinkled,  and  attrac- 
tive, the  flowers  single,  which  is  for  me  an  advantage,  and 
the  fruit  large  and  showy.  It  is,  in  a  word,  one  of  the  most 
ornamental  shrubs  for  the  lawn. 

Up  to  this  point  we  have  been  considering  hardy 
deciduous  plants,  properly  so-called,  and  perhaps  as  regards 
their  forming  any  distinctive  feature  of  June  we  would  be 
hardly  justified  in  mentioning  evergreens  at  all,  if  it  were  not 
for  the  exquisite  young  growth  of  some  particular  varieties. 

Let  us  then  note  a  few  leading  varieties  of  evergreens 
that  exhibit  this  peculiarity.  All  hemlocks  are  lovely  in 
their  soft,  young  growth,  and  delicate  tendrils  of  June,  but 
there  is  a  variegated  form  that  is  touched  all  over  at  this 
season  with  lighter  shades  on  the  young  growth  in  a  very 
attractive  manner.  This  variegation  differs  in  perfection  a 
good  deal  from  year  to  year.  The  young  growth  of  most 
spruces  is  also  fine,  and  specially  noteworthy  on  the  dwarfer 
forms,  such  as  Gregory's  dwarf  (Picea  excelsa  G-regoriana ) . 
An  extremely  dwarf  American  black  spruce  has  likewise 
pleasing  tints  on  its  young  growth,  but  its  form  is  so  strik- 
ing, that  this  beauty  of  the  young  growth  is  overlooked  iu 
contemplating  the  compact  masses  of  this  most  eccentric  of 
evergreens.  There  is  a  variety  of  the  American  white 
spruce  (Picea  alba)  called  Glory  of  the  Spruces,  whicb 
has  a  warm  golden  tint  in  the  midst  of  its  young  green. 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


81 


Perhaps,  however,  the  most  extraordinary  spruce  in 
June  is  the  tiger-tail  spruce  ( Picea  polita)  from  Japan. 
And  its  name  seems  not  inaptly  given  as  we  note  the 


JAPAN    RAMANAS   ROSE. 
(ROSA   RUQOSA   RUBRA.) 

enlarged  bright  golden  tips  of  the  branches  bursting  forth 
from  the  enveloping  leaf -bud.  The  general  appearance  of 
this  evergreen  is  sturdy,  stiff,  and  intensely  individual  as 

6 


82          JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 

well  as  dwarf  ami  enduring.  In  color  it  is  generally  light 
greenish-yellow,  but  the  color  becomes  deepened  at  the  tips,, 
and  is  changed  still  more  by  contrast  with  the  reddish- 
brown  envelopes  or  scales  of  the  leaf-buds  dropping  off 
now  from  one  branch  and  now  from  another  at  this  season. 

In  June  we  do  not  look  among  the  arbor  vitaes,  whether 
Asiatic  or  American,  nor  among  the  so-called  cypresses  of 
Japan  (  Retinosporas  )  for  any  loveliness  of  tint  peculiar  ta 
that  season.  The  junipers,  silver  firs,  and  several  of  the 
pines  on  the  other  hand  are  peculiarly  and  supremely  beau- 
tiful at  this  season.  To  begin  with,  few  evergreens  can 
show  more  beauty  than  is  found  on  the  young  growth  of 
our  common  Canadian  juniper  (Juniperus  Canadensis). 
Its  low,  solid  masses  are  thoroughly  penetrated  by  light 
soft  shades,  and  where  the  plant  chances  to  stand  among  a 
lot  of  distinct  evergreens  the  effect  is  still  more  striking. 
Of  a  similar  light  tint  is  Juniperus  ollonga  pendnla,  the 
true  weeping  juniper,  and  a  native  of  Armenia.  It  is  not 
altogether  hardy. 

Then  what  can  be  finer  than  the  lovely  light  green 
shades  of  the  Irish  and  Swedish  junipers.  Such  picturesque 
forms  and  lovely  colors  would  be  invaluable  for  lawn 
planting  if  they  were  only  possessed  of  hardiness  and 
adaptability  to  light  dry  soil.  The  bluest  of  evergreens, 
Juniperus  Virginiana  glauca  and  Juniperus  venusta,  have 
also  specially  lovely  June  tints. 

Not  many  of  the  pines  are  particularly  remarkable  in 
June.  Perhaps  Pinus  excelsa,  the  Bhotau  pine,  is  most 
noteworthy  at  that  season,  although  the  dwarf  Scotch  is 
decidedly  attractive  in  its  early  coat  of  fresh  green.  Pinus 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 


88 


monspeliensis  is  also  fine  in  June,  as  well  as  Mugho  and  the 
dwarf  white  pine. 

But  the  finest  of  all  evergreens,  I  am  tempted  to  say, 
certainly  the  finest  of  all  evergreens  in  June,  are  some  of 
the  silver  firs.  Nearly  all  of  them  are  remarkable,  but 
chief  among  them  stand  Nordmann's  fir,  the  Grecian 
(Abies  Oilicica),  and  the  noble  silver  fir  (A.  uobilis). 

Nordmaun's  is  at  all  seasons  unsurpassed  for  grandeur, 
and  now  the  light,  fresh  young  foliage  checkers  the  tree  all 
over  in  the  most  delightful  manner  imaginable. 

The  Grecian  silver  fir  starts  earlier,  and  is  most  remark- 
able of  all  for  an  early  coating  of  the  lovely  young  growth 
peculiar  to  the  silver  firs. 

Abies  Pickta,  the  Siberian  silver  fir  has  also  voluminous 
young  growth,  and  it  is 
remarkable  among  all 
evergreens  for  a  soft, 
silky  texture  which 
is  delightful  to  the 
touch. 

Many  think  Abies 
'iwbilis  the  finest  of 
evergreens,  and  for 
exquisite  richness  of 
blue  coloring  and 
picturesque  masses  it 
is,  indeed,  almost  un- 
rivalled. Otherwise  it  lacks  the  grandeur  of  outline  and 
great  hardiness  of  the  Nordmann's  silver  fir.  It  is  not 
unimportant  to  note  here  that  Abies  nobilis  displays  much 


NOBLE  SILVER  FIR. 
(ABIES  NOBILIS.) 


84         JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN. 


variety  of  coloring  and  conformation  on  individual  speci- 
mens, hence  it  follows  that  careful  selection  of  the  best 
varieties  and  their  strict  perpetuation  by  grafting  become 
important  to  the  lawn  planter. 

The  Cephalouian  fir,  Abies  Cephalonica,  is  another  at- 
tractive evergreen  in  June,  although  now  and  then  it 
suffers  from  hard  winters. 

Abies  Parsoniana  or  lasiocarpa  is  one  of  the  rarest  and 
finest  species  of  the  genus,  and  its  long,  curled,  light- 
colored  leaves  assume  the  richest  hues  in  early  summer. 

Abies  concolor  is  another  excellent  and  similar  ever- 
green. 

It  is  an  important  fact  to  remember  that  systematic 
pruning  of  both  the  leader  or  topmost  twig  and  of  the 
side  branches  of  these  silver  firs  tends  greatly  to  develop 
the  beautiful  June  growth  on  every  part  of  the  tree.  It  is 
not  well,  however,  to  continue  this  pinching  too  long  or  too 
frequently,  for  the  tree  may  thus  come  to  lose  the  essential 
characteristic  form  of  the  species  or  variety. 

Very  attractive  also  are  the  early  tints  of  the  dark  and 
extremely  attractive  dwarf  Hudson's  Bay  fir,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  neat  and  elegant  Abies  pectincita  compacta. 
These  last-named  forms  may  be  classed  among  the  hardiest 
of  evergreens.  Turning  to  several  evergreens  which  are 
almost  unknown  on  the  lawn  and  that  are  at  the  same  time 
attractive  in  June,  we  find  the  hardy  form  of  Abies  Douglasii 
or  pseudotsuga  Douglasii.  The  particular  variety  of  the 
Douglas  spruce  generally  employed  has  been  found  some- 
what tender  in  the  Eastern  or  Atlantic  States,  apparently 
because  most  specimens  have  been  brought  from  the  lower 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN.  85 


portions  of  the  coast  ranges  of  California.  The  Colorado 
form,  however,  proves  perfectly  hardy  and  is  not  only  at- 
tractive to  the  eye  in  June,  but  is  deliciously  resinous  in 
odor.  There  is  a,  psendotsuga  Sieboldii,  from  Japan,  which 
is  also  beautiful  in  June.  The  blue  spruce  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  ( Picea  pungens)  is  perhaps  the  richest  and 
bluest  of  evergreens  at  this  season,  and  has  also  the  high 
merit  of  being  hardy  and  vigorous. 

But  after  extolling  the  beauties  of  all  these  evergreens 
in  June,  we  must  turn  for  the  finest  evergreen  effect  in 
summer  to  the  golden  yew.  Later  its  colors  are  more  or 
less  dulled,  in  comparison,  and  sometimes  it  is  even  browned 
in  winter,  though  scarcely  ever  actually  killed,  but  now,  in 
June,  its  deep,  rich  gold  is  fairly  luminous  in  its  glow  of 
young  life.  The  golden  yew  bears  patiently  any  amount 
of  pruning,  and  may  be  and  is  continually  distorted  by 
pruning  into  the  most  artificial  forms.  There  is  a  silver- 
tinted  variety  of  the  same  English  yew  (Taxus  laccata) 
of  which  the  golden  is  also  a  variety,  but  it  is  hardly  as 
distinct  and  striking.  It  is  called  T.  I.  elegantissima ; 
why,  I  cannot  say,  unless  silver  may  be  termed  more 
elegant  than  gold.  It  is  difficult  to  do  justice  to  either  of 
these  last-named  evergreens  as  they  appear  in  late  May  or 
early  June.  The  variety  and  freshness  of  tint  as  contrasted 
in  broadly  pervading  masses  with  the  darker  shades  of  the 
mature  growth  really  defy  description,  while  they  make 
decidedly  one  of  the  most  charming  features  of  the  lawn  in 
early  summer.  The  Irish  yew  is  not  always  hardy,  but  it 
is  striking  and  distinct. 

In  looking  over  this  brief  review  of  the  most  prominent 


86         JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LAWN. 

and  characteristic  beauties  of  the  lawn  in  June,  I  am 
impressed  with  the  insufficient  justice  done  their  loveliness, 
but  I  am  also  consoled  at  my  evident  failure  by  the  con- 
sciousness that  no  ordinary  peri  will  suffice  to  convey  an 
adequate  idea  of  their  subtle  charm. 

For  instance,  of  the  fresh,  early  summer  growths  of  many 
trees  we  can  say  little  more  than  they  are  dark  green  ;  but 
how  poorly  such  terms  express  their  delicate  gradations  of 
color,  soft,  glistening,  and  wonderful.  Look  at  that  weep- 
ing beech  !  What  words  can  describe  the  soft,  tender, 
gleaming  color  of  its  young  foliage.  And  so  it  is  with  a 
hundred  other  trees,  the  charms  of  which  at  this  season 
meet  us  at  every  turn  on  many  lawns. 

With  the  knowledge  of  such  lawn-planting  riches  easily 
attainable  by  almost  every  one,  is  it  strange  that  some 
countries  deem  no  time  and  labor  too  great  to  secure  that 
utmost  vigor  of  early  growth  which  can  alone  produce  the 
highest  perfection  of  June  flowers  and  foliage  ?  Is  it  not 
more  strange  that  we  in  America,  with  our  favorable  soil 
and  climate  and  enterprise  and  regard  for  all  lovely  things, 
do  not  seek  more  to  employ  the  lawn-planting  beauties  at 
our  command  ?  Perhaps  we  have  been  hitherto  occupied 
too  much  with  the  engrossing  duties  of  a  young  nation 
to  look  to  the  permanent  adornment  of  home. 

Our  increased  intercourse  with  Europe  however  has  been 
teaching  us  much  of  late,  and  we  are  learning  not  only  that 
we  should  do  more  artistic  lawn  planting,  but  that  we 
cannot  conform  ourselves  servilely  to  European  horticul- 
tural standards.  After  much  failure  in  trying  to  get  some- 
thing else,  we  are  attaining  to  the  conviction  that  we  must 


JUNE  EFFECTS  ON  THE  LA  WN.          87 

have  genuine  American  lawns  adorned  with  only  such 
plants  as  suit  the  special  conditions  of  the  countiy  and 
locality. 

We  are  learning  that  because  an  English  or  Scotch 
gardener  tells  us  we  should  have  a  particular  tree  which  he 
has  grown  successfully  in  England,  we  are  not  necessarily 
to  assume  that  horticultural  skill,  whether  Scotch,  or  Eng- 
lish, or  French,  must  be  able  to  compass,  in  some  occult 
way,  its  successful  employment  on  American  lawns. 

Just  as  we  are  developing  with  active  enthusiasm  home 
art  in  our  interior,  so  we  are  gaining  an  increasing  realiza- 
tion of  the  importance  of  studying  personally  the  needs 
and  capacities  of  our  lawns.  During  the  next  few  years 
we  may  be  sure  that  lawn  planting  as  an  art  is  likely  to 
develop  into  a  most  important  feature  of  the  home-life  of 
the  humblest  citizen  who  owns  a  spot  of  ground. 

Therefore  to  those  who  would  keep  abreast  of  the  time 
in  such  matters,  I  would  say,  give  eveiy  possible  chance 
to  the  June  effects  of  trees  and  shrubs  on  the  lawn.  These 
occur  on  the  white  days  of  the  year,  and  all  intelligent  care 
in  the  selection  and  culture  of  such  plants  will  be  now 
more  than  ever  repaid  in  the  pleasure  thus  afforded  both 
our  friends  and  ourselves. 


CHAPTER   V. 


THE   FLOWERS  AND    FOLIAGE   OF   SUMMER. 


UNE  is  hardly  summer.  It  is  the 
threshold,  as  it  were,  over  which 
are  wafted  the  odors  of  spring.  All 
spring's  freshness  and  richness  of 
bounding  vitality  characterize  many 
June  days,  and  it  is  not  until  we 
are  really  launched  into  the  full 
glow  of  July  that  we  realize  what  we  may  fairly  consider 
the  genuine  climate  of  summer. 

We  have  doubtless  many  veritable  summer  days  in 
June,  and  so  we  have  in  May,  for  that  matter,  but  even  in 
June  there  are  decided  suggestions  of  spring  still  lingering 
in  the  air. 

It  becomes  therefore  very  important  to  the  lawn-planter 
to  be  able  to  prolong  as  much  as  possible  the  loveliness 
of  May  and  June.  In  America,  especially,  he  has  an  addi- 
tional incentive  in  the  fact  that  July  and  August  are  spent 
largely  in  the  open  air  by  a  people  who,  as  a  rule,  do  not 
spend  as  much  time  out-of-doors  as  most  other  nations. 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.  89 


A  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to  find  in  our  changeable 
climate,  but  should  we  not,  in  a  large  degree,  attribute  this 
neglect  of  open-air  enjoyments  to  a  lack  of  genuine  appre- 
ciation of  the  sweet  influences  of  nature  ?  We  are  apt  to 
talk  much  of  the  beauties  of  nature  after  taking  homoeo- 
pathic doses  of  Ruskin  and  visiting  the  White  Mountains. 
As  a  nation,  however,  I  fear,  we  are  not  lovers  of  the  open 
air,  except  for  purposes  of  business  or  of  pleasure  that 
hardly  involve  much  direct  relation  with  nature. 

Since,  however,  we  are  forced  to  dwell  more  or  less  in 
the  open  air  in  July  and  August,  constrained  by  fashion 
and  the  heat  of  the  weather,  it  is  all  the  more  reason- 
able to  make  the  exterior  of  the  house  attractive,  and 
to  take  the  opportunity  of  making  this  fashion  a  means  of 
gradually  developing  a  more  widespread  love  of  nature. 

Of  the  three  main  features  of  the  lawn — flowers, 
foliage,  and  grass, — the  first,  though  important,  are  least  so, 
simply  because  we  can  have  so  few  flowers  in  midsummer. 
Foliage  is,  with  its  shade-giving  quality,  perhaps  the  most 
important,  although  for  those  who  have  realized  to  what 
excellence  lawn  grass  can  be  developed,  turf  becomes 
scarcely  less  valuable. 

Maintenance  of  lawns  is  not  well  understood  in  this 
country,  as  a  rule,  and  although  it  must  be  acknowledged 
that  the  stress  of  our  summer  suns  is  at  times  terrible,  I  be- 
lieve wonders  could  be  accomplished,  indeed  I  may  say  are 
accomplished  in  isolated  cases,  by  skill  and  untiring  labor. 
When  we  learn  to  give  as  solicitous  attention  to  perfecting 
our  green  sward  as  we  expend  on  the  coats  of  our  high- 
priced  horses,  \ve  shall  begin  to  realize  what  kind  of  a 


90  FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


lawn  may  be  made  in  America  in  spite  of  difficulties  of 
climate. 

If  then  shade  is  most  important  to  make  the  lawn 
attractive  and  lovely  in  summer,  it  naturally  behooves  us 
to  study  our  summer  shade  trees.  As  we  undertake  this 
task  we  find  with  regret  that  we  must  give  up  the  enjoy- 
ment of  some  of  our  grandest  shade  trees  as  having  already 
reached  and  passed  their  prime.  Horse-chestnuts  that 
formed  one  of  the  chief  beauties  of  the  foliage  of  late 
spring  and  early  summer  have  probably  fallen  into  the 
"  sere  leaf  "  and  become  dull  and  rusty  in  many  places  by 
the  end  of  July.  Elms  are  majestic  at  all  seasons,  but  their 
leaves  often  fade  by  midsummer.  Lindens,  except  the 
sulphured  and  dasystyla,  and  possibly  the  silver-leaved,  are 
now  fading  also.  Ashes  are  fresh,  and  several  willows  and 
poplars,  but  many  trees  have  assumed  a  mature  and  even 
languid  appearance,  that  suggests  at  once  the  permanent 
presence  of  a  more  sober  stage  of  existence  and  a  feeling 
that  the  tree  is  resting. 

There  is  scarcely  yet  much  positive  decay.  Light  and 
life  have  for  them  settled  down  to  a  consciousness  of  com- 
pleted development  which,  if,  on  the  whole,  a  satisfactory 
state  of  things  for  the  present,  suggests  quite  distinctly  the 
approaching  end. 

The  best  shade  tree  at  this  season,  if  not  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year,  is  the  beech.  This  fact  was  recognized  by  the 
ancients,  and  is  still  apparent  to  most  tree  lovers  of  the 
present  day.  It  is  true,  the  beech  grows  slowly,  but  did 
ever  any  enduring,  really  fine  tree  grow  otherwise  than 
slowly.  The  elm  and  other  grand  trees  may  be  un- 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.   91 

doubtedly  instanced  as  capable  of  the  most  rapid  growth, 
but  they  are,  it  will  be  found,  not  positively  fine  in  detail 
like  the  beeches. 

The  broad  shining  glossiness  of  the  beech  leaf  sheds  a 
lustrous  light  and  shade  of  the  most  grateful  character. 
There  is  plenty  of  shadow,  but  no  disagreeable  closeness 
and  weight  of  shade.  The  pleasant  features  of  this  shade 
pertain  to  all  beeches  of  whatever  species  or  variety.  Their 
outline  and  coloring  is  alike  fine  in  August  as  throughout 
the  season,  and  if  the  purple  beech  shows  a  greener  tinge 
on  its  foliage  at  midsummer,  it  still  retains  its  early  charm 
of  elegant  contour,  delightful  lustre,  and  simple  grace  of 
leafage. 

So  well  known  are  the  pleasant  summer  (Dualities  of  the 
purple  and  weeping  beeches,  and,  for  that  matter,  of  the 
simple,  original  type  of  both  the  American  and  European 
species,  that  the  very  sound  of  their  names  brings  back  one 
of  the  most  agreeable  and  permanent  pleasures  of  deep 
midsummer — that  of  lying  beneath  their  boughs  recubans 
sub  tegmine  fagi. 

For  this  purpose,  the  importance  of  fostering  the  most 
perfect  development  of  the  lower  branches  is  at  once 
evident.  To  do  this,  it  is  not  only  necessary  to  preserve 
these  lower  branches  from  mutilation  by  carelessness  or 
unskilful  and  excessive  priming,  but  the  growth  of  the  tree 
must  be  also  restrained  during  youth,  where  an  excessive 
vigor  may  tend  to  diminish  the  luxuriousness  of  the  foliage 
near  the  ground.  This  applies  more  especially  to  the  weep- 
ing beech,  but  the  suggestion  has  definite  and  considerable 
value  in  the  management  of  most  kinds  of  trees. 


92  FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


All  maples  are  fine  during  summer.  As  a  shade  tree 
especially  adapted  to  midsummer,  the  best  of  the  genus  is 
undoubtedly  the  Norway  maple.  Its  leaves  are  broad  and 
shadowy,  with  a  texture  and  peculiar  habit  of  lying  close 
to  the  branches  that  is  productive  of  the  most  agreeable 
shade.  Broad  and  massive  in  general  contour  and  of  a 
rich  green  color,  the  Norway  maple  must  necessarily  be  an 
agreeable  feature  of  the  summer  lawn. 

For  another  kind  of  shade  than  that  of  the  Norway 
maple,  we  turn  to  the  Oriental  plane-tree,  a  near  relative  of 
our  American  button-wood,  only  a  better  tree.  In  this 
instance  we  find  plenty  of  shade,  under  large  spreading 
foliage,  but  a  shade  that  is  far  less  agreeable  than  that  of 
the  beech  or  maple.  Try  the  shade  of/  the  black  walnut 
and  compare  it  with  that  of  the  American  chestnut.  Some- 
thing in  the  texture  and  set  of  the  leaves  makes  the  dif- 
ference. Pliny  speaks  at  some  length  of  this  difference 
between  shade  trees.  The  shade  of  the  ailantus  is  not 
specially  agreeable,  although  its  fine  large  light-green  foliage 
has  a  delightful  Oriental  effect  on  the  summer  lawn.  Prac- 
tically the  ailantus  is  thrust  into  Coventry  on  account  of  the 
disagreeable  odor  of  its  flowers  for  a  week  or  two  in  June. 

The  American  chestnut  is  a  noble  tree  on  the  summer 
lawn.  The  foliage  is  shining  and  elegant  in  outline,  and 
dispenses  a  pleasant  shade.  It  grows  well,  and  is  nearly 
always  thrifty  and  vigorous.  The  flowers,  too,  that  whiten 
the  surface  of  a  great  chestnut  in  summer,  add  greatly  to 
its  attraction. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  conspicuous  trees  on  the 
lawn  is  the  catalpa.  Broad  and  massive-looking,  especially 


94  FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


if  pruned  properly,  it  is  quite  unique  in  its  way.  Its  shade, 
however,  is  not  as  agreeable  as  that  of  the  beecli  or  rnapie. 
There  is  a  golden  catalpa  that  bears  great  golden  leaves  in 
June,  and  on  its  second  growth  of  August  and  September. 
These  leaves  are  conspicuous  and  specially  effective  at  a 
considerable  distance. 

The  ashes  are  many  of  them  quite  interesting  in  summer, 
particularly  those  that  are  variegated  on  their  second  growth 
of  young  leaves.  Such  a  one  is  the  European  ash  ( Fraxinus 
concavcefolia ) ,  so  called  on  account  of  the  peculiar  forma- 
tion of  its  leaves.  The  second  growth  of  this  variety,  as  well 
as  the  growth  of  June,  has  the  appearance  of  a  loose  bouquet 
of  flowers  at  a  distance,  white,  red,  and  green,  arranged  in 
an  irregular  clustered  shape. 

The  white  fringe  ( Chionanthus  Virginica),  a  relative 
of  the  ash,  has  also  a  fine  shining  foliage,  which  makes  it  a 
charming  plant  even  after  its  lace-like  masses  of  flowers  in 
June  are  gone. 

One  of  the  finest  summer  shade  and  ornamental  trees  is 
the  Kentucky  coffee-tree.  The  leaves  are  acacia-like,  light- 
green,  and  graceful,  but  their  chief  charm  lies  in  the  fact 
that  they  are  set  on  edge,  as  it  were,  so  that  the  sunlight 
slides  or  sifts  through  in  a  very  peculiar  fashion.  This 
makes  the  shade,  however,  of  a  most  agreeable  character, 
and  lends  the  tree  a  special  charm  for  the  summer-time.  A 
rough,  dark  bark  also  gives  the  Kentucky  coffee-tree  a  still 
more  striking  character,  from  the  contrast  it  makes  with  the 
light  and  elegant  foliage. 

Of  light-green,  sunny  foliage  also  is  the  Kodreuteria — a 
summer  tree  in  every  sense  !  To  a  round-headed  fine  con- 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.   95 


tour  is  added  a  light-green  color,  and  a  soft  green  velvety 
texture  suggested  rather  than  felt.  In  June,  its  yellow 
flowers  are  beautiful,  but  its  foliage  alone  should  obtain 
for  it  much  employment  as  a  summer  tree. 

There  is  again  the  liquid  ambar  or  sweet  gum.  We  all 
know  this  tree,  and  prize  it  much  for  its  rich  red  color  in 
fall.  Scarcely  less  lovely,  however,  are  the  summer  quali- 
ties of  its  light-green  star-shaped  leaves  and  generally  unique 
effect.  Indeed,  we  can  hardly  employ  it  distinctively  as  a 
summer  tree,  because  of  its  great  ornamental  value  at  all 
seasons. 

Nor  would  I  like  to  forget  in  this  connection  another 
forest  tree,  of  most  excellent  and  shining  qualities  in  the 
summer-time,  as  well  as  in  the  earlier  days  of  spring.  The 
tulip-tree  is  noble  at  most  times,  but  never  more  so 
than  when  it  rears  its  lofty  shining  foliage  above  the  sur- 
rounding summer  greenery.  If  the  tulip-tree  were  more 
easily  transplanted  it  would  be  more  widely  planted,  for  it 
is  in  every  way  an  excellent  shade  and  ornamental  tree. 
The  remedy  for  this  defect  or  difficulty  in  transplanting  is 
obtained  by  setting  out  in  spring  young  trees  four  to  six 
feet  high.  I  must  not  forget  before  leaving  the  tulip  to 
speak  of  the  magnificent  erect  bole  its  trunk  presents. 
Only  corrugated  in  the  bark  enough  to  give  it  a  look  of 
strength,  the  smooth  tall  shaft  springs  up  to  a  great  height 
and  makes  at  all  times  one  of  the  most  attractive  features 
of  the  tree. 

Magnolias  generally  on  account  of  their  flowers  belong 
more  particularly  to  spring,  but  midsummer  should  claim 
at  least  one  species,  the  American  M.  macropliylla.  It  is 


96   FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


the  most  tropical-looking  tree  of  the  lawn,  the  great  massive 
leaves  assuming  the  gigantic  proportions  of  three  feet  long 
and  a  foot  broad.  These  leaves  are,  moreover,  rich  and 
shining  in  color  and  striking  throughout  the  summer.  A 
conspicuous  position  and  abundant  room  at  some  distance 
from  the  house  should  be  accorded  this  magnolia  for  the 
attainment  of  its  fullest  effect.  Its  shade  is  delightful,  and 
as  a  summer  tree  its  rank  is  in  every  way  high. 

But  let  us  turn  to  a  group  of  summer  trees  that  rank 
on  the  lawn  only  second  to  the  beeches.  There  are  so 
many  fine  varieties  in  the  richly  endowed  genus  of  oaks 
that  I  am  in  doubt  which  to  select  for  special  notice.  They 
are  all  fine  summer  trees,  and  the  American  varieties  per- 
haps most  of  all.  When  we  lament  our  inability  to  grow 
the  perfect  evergreens  seen  everywhere  in  England,  we 
have  only  to  turn  to  our  grand  native  oaks  and  feel  com- 
pensated by  our  richness  in  that  deciduous  genus  alone. 

Among  American  oaks  there  is  the  chestnut  oak,  com 
bining  the  fine  outline  of  leaf  of  the  chestnut  and  all  the 
grandeur  and  shining  qualities  of  the  true  oak  type.  For 
an  oak  it  grows  with  much  vigor  and  symmetry.  Then 
there  is  the  white  oak,  also  of  noble  proportions,  as  well 
as  the  red  oak.  The  scarlet  oak  is  somewhat  smaller. 
Among  American  oaks  there  is  no  finer  at  any  time,  and 
especially  in  summer,  than  the  pin  oak  (  Quercus  palustris). 
Its  drooping,  yet  vigorous  and  shining  foliage  make  one 
of  the  most  striking  features  of  any  summer  landscape. 
A  fine  species  for  this  season  of  the  year  is  the  willow 
oak  (Quercus  phellos),  with  light  gray,  curious,  narrow 
leaves.  Originally  growing  in  a  more  southern  climate 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.   97 


than  our  Middle  and  Eastern  States,  it  yet  seems  perfectly 
hardy  throughout  the  North.  It  is  round-headed  and 
small-sized  for  an  oak  and  is  in  every  way  an  interesting 
and  valuable  ornamental  tree.  The  English  oak  (  Quercus 
roburj,and  its  well-marked  variety,  pedunculata,  are  noble- 
looking  trees,  although  they  do  not  succeed  as  invariably 
in  America  as  our  American  species.  This  oak  is  fine  for 
both  appearance  and  shade  in  summer,  particularly  in  one 
or  two  of  its  varieties.  The  most  remarkable  is  the  golden 
oak  (  Quercus  robin*  pedunculata  Concordia) .  In  June,  this 
oak  is  greenish-gold,  but  later  takes  on  its  full  deep  golden 
tint,  which  it  retains  until  frost.  Such  bright  lively  tints 
are  very  refreshing  and  charming  during  the  heat  and  dull 
hues  of  August.  No  summer  lawn  should  be  considered 
complete  without  a  golden  oak  planted  in  some  conspicuous 
position  where  the  yellowish  tint  will  contrast  properly 
with  the  green  of  other  foliage.  This  variety  grows  fairly 
for  an  oak,  and  the  foliage,  when  the  tree  has  been  well 
pruned,  lies  in  thick  rich  masses  of  the  most  attractive  charac- 
ter. Indeed,  what  tree  will  not  judicious  pruning  improve  ? 
Of  the  Japan  oaks  there  are  few  grander  and  more  ef- 
fective in  summer  than  the  royal  oak  of  Japan  (Quercus 
Daimio).  No  oak  known  on  the  lawn  has  larger  leaves. 
For  summer  ornament  it  is  therefore  very  effective.  The 
pyramidal  oak,  a  European  variety,  is  also  fine  in  summer 
with  its  great  vigor  and  bold  outline.  Another  variety  of 
the  English  oak,  viz.,  the  weeping  form,  has  fine  foliage 
and  a  remarkable  habit  to  render  it  conspicuous  in  summer 
on  the  lawn.  My  space  would  not  of  course  permit  the 
description  of  all  oaks  valuable  on  the  summer  lawn ;  for, 


98     FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


indeed,  all  are  fine  at  that  season  and  the  number  of  the 
varieties  is  legion.  I  have  mentioned,  however,  some  of 
the  most  remarkable. 

The  poplars  and  willows  generally  seem  to  belong  to  an 
earlier  season  than  midsummer,  but  there  are  one  or  two 
varieties  I  must  mention  in  this  connection.  Many  poplars 
are  objectionable  on  account  of  an  evil  habit  of  suckering 
and  a  somewhat  coarse  appearance,  valuable  as  they  are  in 
many  situations.  But  the  balsam  poplar  is  in  every  way  a 
fine  ornamental  tree.  It  is  clean  and  healthy  and  free  from 
suckers,  and  has  a  grand  outline  and  size  of  leaf.  The  color 
of  the  foliage  is  rich  and  shining,  and  well  fitting  to  the 
summer  lawn.  Yellowish  drab  or  brown  and  finely  marked, 
the  branches  and  trunks  are  likewise  attractive. 

Resembling  the  balsam  poplar,  in  its  fitness  for  the 
summer  lawn,  there  is  the  Salix  laurifolia  or  pentandra, 
the  laurel-leaved  willow.  This  plant  has  been  employed 
with  little  reference  to  summer,  but  few  trees  have  finer 
foliage  in  summer,  and  it  continues  bright  and  shining  until 
late  in  fall.  It  is  strong-growing,  however,  more  a  tree  than 
a  bush,  and  inclined  to  lose  its  lower  branches,  and  therefore 
should  be  planted  in  the  screening  masses  of  other  shrubs. 

Of  a  dwarfer  habit  is  the  gray,  curving,  narrow-leaved 
rosemary  willow,  the  cool,  soft  tints  of  which  are  well  fitted 
to  please  the  eye  during  the  glaring  days  of  August.  It 
suits  the  outskirts  of  shrub  groups  from  its  compact,  round 
and  weeping  habit.  All  the  willows,  in  fact,  are  pleasant 
to  the  eye  in  summer,  and  free  from  the  worn-out  look 
peculiar  to  many  trees  at  this  season. 

There  are  two  summer  trees  or  shrubs  (for  they  partake 
of  the  characteristics  of  both  shrub  and  tree)  which  we 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.   99 

must  not  overlook,  so  beautiful  are  they,  and  unique  in 
their  own  peculiar  way.  One  is  Stuartia  pcntagynia  and 
the  other  Oxydendrum  arboreum,  or  Andromeda  arbor ea, 
the  sorrel-tree.  The  first,  bearing  throughout  the  season 
foliage  invariably  bright  and  beautiful,  is  particularly  at- 
tractive at  midsummer  for  creamy -white,  orange-like  clusters 
of  flowers.  The  Andromeda  arbor  ea,  noticed  in  detail  in 
another  place,  has  during  the  scarcity  of  flowers  at  midsum- 
mer the  supreme  attraction  of  white,  swaying  tassels  of 
sweet-scented  bloom. 

The  little  Hypericum,  studded  with  quantities  of  bright 
yellow  flowers,  is  not  to  be  despised  at  this  season,  and  the 
delicate,  feathery  foliage  and  beaded 
pink  flowers  of  the  hardy  Tamarisk 
Indica  are  in  full  perfection  at  about 
the  same  time.  The  rich,  effective 
hues  of  the  A  lihea  flowers  also  pertain 
properly  to  summer,  although  they 
last  into  September. 

But  the  now  celebrated  Hydrangea 
paniculata  grandiflora,  with  its  great 
trusses  of  white  and  pink  flowers, 
hardly  belongs  to  summer  properly, 
for  its  richest  and  most  varied  tints  of 
crimson  only  appear  just  before  the 
first  approach  of  frost. 

Let  us  not  forget  either  in  assem- 
bling our  summer  lawn  beauties  to 

DOUBLE  FLOWERING  ALTHEA. 

employ  the  old  and  neglected  Lytium      (HIBISCUS  SYRIANS,  FL.PU) 
barbarum,  or  box  thorn,  with  its  curving  masses  of  small, 
half-climbing  foliage,  studded  in  August  with  little  effec- 


100  FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


tive  purple  flowers.     It  is  also  valuable   because  it  will 
thrive  in  any  soil  or  exposure. 

The  dogwoods  have  perhaps  no  distinctive  summer 
quality,  but  they  are  so  fine  both  in  wood  and  leafage 
throughout  the  year  that  I  should  invariably  include  them 
among  an  assemblage  of  summer  lawn  plants. 

One  of  the  most  effective  of  our  large  shrubs  in  summer 
is  the  Colutea,  or  bladder  senna,  in  its  several  varieties. 
An  acacia-like  foliage  and  great  compactness  and  vigor 
give  it  special  value  for  combination  in  shrub  groups,  but 

its  yellow  or  yellowish-red 
pea-blossom-like  flowers  in 
June  and  July,  followed  by 
reddish  pods  or  bladders, 
are  also  valuable  features 
for  the  summer  lawn. 

The  Amorplia,  though 
more  spreading,  is  somewhat 
allied  to  the  Colutea  in  ap- 
pearance, and  bears  quanti- 
ties of  small  purplish  flowers 
in  dense  terminal  flattish 
clusters  during  earl}'  summer. 
For  the  outskirts  of 
groups,  where  low-growing 
shrubs  are  particularly  de- 
SWEET  PEPPER-BUSH.  sirable,  the  glossy  leaves 

(CLETHRA  ALNIFOLIA.)  -i  ,        ,  „         , 

and  rounded  contours  of  the 

Cletlira  alnifolia  work  in  very  successfully  with  the  added 
beauty  of  protruding  spikes  of  sweet-scented   white   mid- 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.  101 

summer  flowers.  Andromeda  Mariana,  or  stagger  bush, 
resembles  somewhat  the  Clethrci  alnifolla,  though  its  white 
summer  flowers  are  less  striking  in  appearance. 

The  horse-chestnut  for  bloom  belongs  peculiarly  to 
spring,  but  one  there  is,  ^Esculus  parviflora,  of  dwarf  - 
spreading  contours,  which  forms  one  of  the  most  effective 


DWARF  FLOWERING  HORSE-CHESTNUT  TREES. 

(/ESCULU8    PARVIFLORA. ) 


objects  on  the  lawn  in  July,  with  its  rich  spikes  of  white 
flowers  thrust  prominently  above  masses  of  the  peculiar 
typical  horse-chestnut  foliage. 

But  I  must  not  leave  the  subject  of  summer  trees  with- 
out referring  with  deepest  admiration  to  the  elegant,  taper- 
ing, arrow-like  form  and  tender,  strange-looking,  pea-green 


102  FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


foliage  of  the  Chinese  cypress.  No  member  of  the  Taxo- 
Jinni  family  attains  its  full  panoply  of  foliage  in  this 

climate  before  July.  Cypress- 
es should  be  employed  above 
all  things  for  their  summer 
effect.  Very  graceful  and 
impressive  are  Southern  cy- 
presses, with  their  picturesque 
masses  of  feathery  foliage,  but 
unique  and  beautiful,  almost 
above  all  other  trees  on  the 
summer  lawn,  is  a  good  speci- 
men of  the  strange,  foreign- 
looking  Chinese  cypress. 

Most  spireas  flower  in 
May  or  June,  but  there  are 
several  that  bloom  during  mid 
and  late  summer,  and  have 
therefore  an  important  place 
in  such  assemblages  as  we 
are  discussing.  Spircea  callosa 
alia  is  perhaps  the  most  note- 

CH.NESE  CYPRESS.  worthy,  for,  although  it  com- 

(OLYPT08TR08U8  em^.)  mences  to  flower  in  June,  it 

has  an  abundant  second  bloom  in  July,  which,  added  to  the 
flower's  beauty  and  its  rounded,  low-growing  form,  make  it 
useful  in  different  combinations  of  shrubs.  8.  -Billardii, 
Douglasii,  salicifolia,  and  tomentosa  are  other  varieties  of 
spireas  that  bloom  late  in  summer. 

Weigelias  generally  are  valuable  June-flowering  shrubs, 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.  103 


but  one  peculiar  one,  W.  Lavallei)  I  must  mention  for  its 
abundant  dark-red  flowers  borne  a  second  time  in  July  and 


. 


JAPAN  IVY. 
(AMPELOPSIS  TRICUSPIDATA.) 


August.  The  variegated  dwarf  weigelia  is  fresh  and  at- 
tractive in  late  summer,  as  well  as  during  all  other  seasons 
of  the  year  when  it  is  clothed  with  foliage. 


104  FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER. 


I  must  not  leave  the  summer  lawn  without  dwelling 
briefly  on  the  charms  of  various  climbers  at  this  season. 
The  Akebia  quinata,  neat  and 
elegant    all    summer,    is    never 
apparently  more  so,  it  may  be 
by   contrast,   than    in    August. 
Ampelopsis    tricmpidata,    with 
shining  leaves  and  rootlets  cling- 
ing to  stone  or  wooden  walls,  is 
bright    as  ever,   and    seemingly 
more   vigorous    in   late 
summer.    The  broad, 
massive,     strange-     J 
looking  leaves  of  the     'M 
Dutchman's     pipe 
are  very  effec- 
tive now,  and  <J^ 

several    clematises,    yellow   apii-   ^B 
folia,  white   sweet-scented  flam-  ^^ 
mula,  greenish-white    6r/'ahamn, 
the  old-fashioned   Virginiana,  all 
clothe  during  summer  their  near- 
est support  with  thick  masses  of 
leaves  and  flowers. 

The  honeysuckles  are  fresh 
and  pleasing  all  summer,  espe- 
cially when  climbing  over  stumps 
or  rocks  and  hillsides,  and  in  sev- 
eral instances,  such  as  those  of  sempermrens  and  sinensis, 
throughout  the  season.  Menispermum  Catiadense,  the 


DUTCHMAN'S   PIPE. 
(ARISTOLOCHIA  SIPHO.) 


SWEET-SCENTED  CLEMATIS. 
(CLEMATIS   FLAMMULA.) 


FLOWERS  AND  FOLIAGE  OF  SUMMER.  105 


moon-seed,  makes  a  pretty  clothing  of  foliage  throughout 
the  summer ;  but  the  most  effective  of  summer  climbers  is 
the  great  Teconia  (  Biguonia),  or  trumpet  creeper. 

Our  common  old-fashioned  trumpet  creeper  (Teconia 
radicans)  with  its  rich  crimson  trumpet-shaped  flowers  is 
splendid  both  in  leaf  and  bloom  when 
trained  over  stones  and  stumps  of 
trees,  but  Teconia  grandiftora,  with 
its  broader  and  larger  orange-colored 
flowers,  quite  surpasses  it.  It  is  not, 
however,  always  hardy.  Effective 
shrubs  may  be  made  of  these  strong- 
growing  trumpet  creepers  by  training 
them  over  a  stump  or  post,  six  or 
eight  feet  high,  where  they  rapidly 
assume  a  perfect  bush  form. 

In  considering  the  valuable   sum- 

o 

mer  traits  of  the  plants  I  have  named, 
I  feel  that  I  have  given  n  very  brief 
tribute  to  their  peculiar  charms,  and 
I  know  full  well  too  that  many  other 
kinds  exist,  suitable  for  like  employ- 
ment, but  pause  because  my  intention 
is  to  be  stimulative  and  suggestive 
rather  than  to  exhaust  this  subject. 
Moreover,  enough  varieties  have  been 
considered  to  make,  in  proper  combination,  even  the  most 
ambitious  lawn  beautiful  throughout  the  months  of  July 
and  August. 


TRUMPET    CREEPER. 
(TECOMA  RADICANS.) 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GREEN  AUTUMNAL  FOLIAGE. 


ID  it  ever  occur  to  any  one  that 
it  would  be  well  to  brighten  the 
lawn  in  fall  with  more  trees  that 
remain  green  at  that  season  2  If 
it  ever  has,  the  evidence  scarcely 
appears.  Yet  the  dull  and  fading 
hues  of  autumn,  in  spite  of  the 
increasing  beauty  of  dying  leaves, 

need  some  green  color  to  refresh  the  eye.  Perhaps  in  im- 
proving lawns  we  do  not  sufficiently  consider  all  the  valua- 
ble qualities  of  different  plants,  failing  to  recognize  the 
lessons  afforded  by  woodland  scenery.  It  may  not,  there- 
fore, be  uninteresting  to  touch  briefly  the  fall  characteristics 
of  certain  trees  and  shrubs  noteworthy  in  this  respect.  We 
might  naturally  turn  to  evergreens  as  especially  suited  for 
our  purpose,  but,  with  few  exceptions,  their  hues  have 
been  dimmed  since  June.  The  green  does  not  seem  as 
warm  and  fresh  as  it  did  then,  and  an  evergreen  has  never 
that  cheerful  enlivening  aspect  presented  by  the  green  of 
deciduous  trees. 

106 


GREEN  A  UTUMNAL  FOLIA  GE.  107 

We  propose  to  include  no  plants  the  foliage  of  which 
suffers  from  mere  white  frost,  and  even  to  include  some  the 
leaves  of  which  will  endure  a  severe  freezing  without 
injury  to  their  beauty.  There  is  doubtless  a  season  in 
late  August  and  early  September,  during  which  the  lawn 
should  be  carefully  supplied  with  such  foliage  and  flowers 
as  will  yet  flourish;  but  we  have  chosen  a  later  period, 
which  is  sometimes  deferred  until  the  middle  of  October, 
and  which  is  more  neglected  and  needy. 

One  would  think  the  maples  would  be  valuable  for 
their  green  in  fall  and  so  they  unquestionably  are.  They 
are  healthy,  thrifty,  and  vigorous,  but  no  variety  very 
remarkable  for  its  late  green  exists  among  them  unless 
it  be  the  little  colchicum  maple,  properly  called  Acer 
Icetum.  The  foliage  of  this  tree  is  pleasing  and  of  curi- 
ous outline.  Delicate  red  stems  support  the  leaves,  and  the 
general  appearance  is  bright  and  cheerful.  It  is  a  choice, 
uncommon  maple,  to  which  I  have  already  referred  with 
respect,  and  should  be  more  employed  as  a  single  specimen 
on  the  lawn. 

The  common  catalpa  ( C.  syringcefolia),  much  spoken 
of  nowadays  for  its  enduring  wood,  and  most  valuable  to 
the  lawn  planter  for  broad,  shadowy  foliage,  retains  its 
green  color  well  in  fall.  There  is  also  a  dwarf  form,  C. 
Bungeii,  sometimes  misnamed  Kcempferi,  rounded  like  a 
hemisphere,  with  veiy  delicate  autumnal  greens.  The 
A r alia  Japonica  is  drooping  and  graceful  and  effective  in 
its  autumn  green. 

C/iionanthm  Virginica,,  the  white  fringe,  old,  well- 
known,  and  choice,  is  not  usually  spoken  of  for  its  autum- 


108  GREEN  AUTUMNAL  FOLIAGE.^ 

mil  beauty.  The  reputation  of  the  exquisite  lace-like  flowers 
ha*  doubtless  eclipsed  the  glory  of  the  foliage.  It  is  large 
for  a  shrub,  lustrous  and  oval  in  contour,  and  the  leaves 
have  a  dark,  rich  green  in  fall. 

The  American  persimmon  is  a  noteworthy  tree  for  its 
green  in  fall;  but  the  Japanese  persimmon,  or  Tcaki,  shows 
a  richer,  glossier  foliage,  like  orange  leaves  in  color.  Un- 
fortunately, it  is  not  hardy  in  the  Middle 
and  Northern  States. 

Few  shrubs    are    prettier  in  the  fall 
than  the  evergreen   thorn   ( Cotoneaster 
or  Cratcegus  pyracantha).     The  small 
glossy   dark-green    leaves    and 
orange-colored  berries,  all  pro- 
tected by  masses  of  thorns,  char- 
acterize   the    finest 
foreign      Cratcegus 
which  is  thorough- 
ly  healthy  in  Amer- 
ica, as  it  is  also  at- 
tractive in   very  late   fall  and 
even  winter. 

INDIAN  BEAN.  Cerds  Japonica,  the  Japan 

<<— B,cNoN,o,DE8.)  Judas   tree,   has    heart-shaped 

leaves,  glossy,  tough,  and  retained  late  in  fall.  It  is  rare 
and  choice,  and  decidedly  attractive  both  for  its  flowers 
and  leaves  during  at  least  five  months  of  the  year.  In 
spring,  early  pink  flowers  wreathe  the  stem,  before  the 
leaves  put  forth. 

The  best  green-leaved  spirea  in  fall  is,  perhaps,  fl.pruni- 


GREEN  AUTUMNAL  FOLIAGE.  109 


folia,  which  assumes  still  richer  colors  as  a  late  autumnal 
garb.  Spiraea  crispifolia,  rare,  and  recently  introduced 
from  Japan,  is  a  variety  of  &  Indlata ;  a  dwarf  mass  of 
rounded,  curling  foliage,  it  is  well  preserved  in  fall. 

Salix  laurifolia,  or  /SI  pcntandra,  the  laurel-leaved  wil- 
low, preserves  a  shining  green  late  in  the  season.  The 
ornamental  value  of  this  tree  is  not  sufficiently  considered. 
It  endures  all  exposures  and  soils,  even  close  to  the  sea- 
shore, and  is  always  clean  and  thrifty. 

The  elms  are  remarkably  deficient  in  attraction  during 
the  fall,  with  one  or  two  curious  exceptions.  The  one 
specially  notable  is  the  weeping — so  called  slippery — elm,  or 
it  may  be  simply  a  variety  of  the  American,  which  grows 
with  great  rapidity,  and  has  a  fine  vigorous  foliage.  So 
rapid  is  this  growth  that  grafts  made  in  the  spring  will 
attain  six  or  eight  feet  during  the  following  summer.  We 
see  a  specimen  before  us,  while  we  are  writing,  where  a 
large  American  elm  has  been  stripped  of  its  branches  and 
grafted  at  numerous  points  with  cions  of  this  weeping 
elm.  The  effect  produced  after  a  few  years  has  been  most 
extraordinary.  Long,  pendent  branches,  clothed  with  luxu- 
riant foliage,  swing  and  wreathe  themselves  about  against 
the  sky  like  gigantic  snakes.  The  most  valuable  quality  of 
this  choice  tree  lies  in  the  fact  that  its  foliage  is  frequently 
green  until  October,  and  always  green  weeks  later  than 
most  other  elms.  There  is  one  other  elm  Avhich  is  rare 
—  Ulmus  parvifolia, — that  holds  its  green  so  late  that  it 
might  be  classed  with  oaks  and  beeches  for  this  peculiarity. 
It  is  of  moderate  growth,  and  has  rough,  slightly  curled 
foliage,  grouped  closely  along  the  branches. 


110 


GREEN  AUTUMNAL  FOLIAGE. 


So  far  as  we  know,  the  lindens  can  only  boast  of  two 
varieties  that  remain  really  green  in  fall,  viz. :  Tilia  dasy- 
styla  and  T.  sulpJtnrea,  golden-barked  trees  with  bright 
green  foliage.  All  other  lindens  fade  soon,  and  become  almost 
unsightly  in  early  autumn,  so  that  the  green  foliage  of  these 
varieties  seem  very  curious  to  behold  in  October.  The 
effect  of  the  unusual  season  of  such  coloring  is  increased  by 
the  strong  contrast  afforded  by  a  bright  yellow  bark  and  a 
singularly  lustrous  foliage. 


WEEPING  BEECH. 
(FAOUS  SYLVATICA  PENDULA.) 


But  the  noblest  trees  of  bright  green  and  other  good 
qualities  are  the  beeches  and  oaks,  rich  in  color  and  pic. 
turesque  in  form,  always  affording  grateful  shade ;  other 
trees  may  possibly  be  as  fine  in  some  peculiar  fashion,  but 


GREEN  AUTUMNAL  FOLIAGE. 


Ill 


none  can  be  more  generally  satisfactory.  Not  specially 
early  in  spring  in  putting  forth  leaves,  they  are  most 
beautiful  in  June,  and  indeed  throughout  the  summer.  In 


WEEPING  BEECH  IN  WINTER. 


autumnal  landscapes,  however,  their  late  foliage,  almost 
evergreen  during  mild  winters,  performs  a  valuable  part, 
for  the  very  reason  that  there  is  now  so  much  less  beauty 
among  trees  than  earlier  in  the  season.  All  kinds  of  beeches 
are  fine  in  the  fall.  The  cut-leaved,  the  purple,  and  the 
common  American  and  European  beeches  are  all  most 
effective  and  green  until  winter ;  but  the  noblest  of  all  is 
the  celebrated  weeping  beech.  Its  great,  gleaming  masses 
of  foliage  assume  all  kinds  of  fantastic  shapes,  and  reveal 
bowers  and  recesses  until  the  leaves  of  almost  every  other 


1 1 2          GREEN  A  UTUMNAL  FOLIA  GE. 


tree  have 
taken  their 
departure. 

To  me  the  American 
beech  Fagus  ferruginea, 
is  no  less  beautiful  than  the 
European  species  and  variety. 
The  foliage  is  delicate  in  finish, 
and  it  lies  in  an  arrangement  of  layers 
that  is  peculiarly  attractive.  The  only 
other  rival  the  beech  really  has  in  late 
fall,  is  the  oak.  Strong,  sturdy,  and 
picturesque,  enduring  and  grand,  it  is 
admired  by  every  one  and  planted  by  few. 
ft  transplants  with  difficulty  and  grows 
slowly  ;  but  when  once  established  it  is  well  worth  the 
patience  it  has  demanded.  All  oaks  are  fine  in  fall,  and  in 
many  cases  preserve  their  leaves  fresh  and  green  into  No- 
vember and  later.  Indeed,  though  we  have  no  really  ever- 
green oaks  in  the  North,  there  are  seasons  when  some  oaks, 
notably  the  pyramidal,  retain  a  few  leaves  all  winter.  The 
willow-leaved  oak,  as  well  as  the  pin  oak,  and  the  rare, 
large-leaved  Daimio  from  Japan,  among  others,  are  very 
beautiful  in  fall,  sometimes  even  in  late  November  and 
December. 


EUEAGNUS  LONQIPES. 


GREEN  AUTUMNAL  FOLIAGE. 


113 


Did  space  permit,  we  should  like  to  dwell  on  the  beauty 
in  autumn  of  various  privets,  JDaphne  cneorum  of  tiny  ever- 
green foliage,  and  certain  of  the  Elceagnus  species,  notably 
the  gray  E.  Hortensis  and  the  robust  E.  longipes,  with 
large  leaves  and  red  berries,  as  well  as  the  beautiful  fall 
climbers,  evergreen  honeysuckles,  AJcebias,  Virginia  silk, 
etc.  All  these  should  be  planted  with  taste  here  and  there 
about  the  lawn,  supported  by  occasional  masses  of  rhodo- 
dendrons, laurels,  mahonias,  and  other  evergreen  shrubs. 
Thus  adorned,  the  lawn,  in  the  fine  air  and  lights  of  autumn 
and  during  bright  days,  may  well  tempt  us  to  linger  amid 
its  yet  beautiful  foliage,  where  crimson  and  gold  are  mingled 
plentifully  with  green. 


v;.S 


CHAPTER  VII. 

AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 


HE  supreme  point  of  our  enjoyment 
of  lawn-planting  is  reached  when, 
we  have  compassed  in  our  grounds- 
the  loveliest  effects  of  color.  Al- 
though this  is  a  fact,  I  fancy  we 
seldom  consciously  attempt  to  com- 
pass these  color  effects.  A  dress  pat- 
tern is  selected,  the  tints  of  every 
part  of  the  room,  both  walls,  furniture,  and  floor,  are  studied 
with  the  critical  eye  of  genius,  but  when  we  come  to  the 
lawn,  composition  of  any  kind  is  seldom  attempted,  much 
less  a  harmonious  disposition  of  color. 

Indeed,  I  believe,  when  any  one  does  more  than  stand 
specimens  about  wherever  they  may  happen  to  come,  form 
is  apt  to  receive  first  and  almost  exclusive  attention.  A 
pyramidal  tree,  a  broad-spreading  tree,  a  tall  tree,  a  dwarf 
tree,  secures  a  certain  amount  of  attention  for  its  proper  dis- 
position, but  the  foliage  might  be,  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses, one  shade  of  green  for  any  consideration  color  re- 


AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN.    115 


ceives  in  the  special  grouping  and  arrangement.  Even 
Central  Park,  New  York,  the  most  notable  landscape-gar- 
dening essay  in  America,  has  always  impressed  me  as  defec- 
tive in  studied  color  effects  of  foliage.  This  is  doubtless 
caused  in  part  by  a  want  of  sufficient  variety  in  the  large 
masses  of  the  plants  employed.  Twenty-five  years  ago, 
when  the  Park  was  planted,  there  was  likewise  a  much 
smaller  variety  of  ornamental  trees  in  the  nurseries  than 
there  is  at  present. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  this  apparent  neglect  of  color  in 
lawn-planting  of  the  present  day,  I  am  not  inclined  to 
believe  that  our  enjoyment  of  color  in  foliage  falls  at  all 
behind  that  of  our  enjoyment  of  tree  form.  Form  doubt- 
less appeals  more  to  the  direct,  practical  instincts  of  the 
gardener  or  farmer,  and  in  his  hands  has  rested  in  large  part 
all  tree-planting  up  to  the  present  time.  Nay,  more,  I  be- 
lieve that  if  women  could  or  would  have  given  as  much 
attention  to  the  lawn  as  they  have  to  the  flower  garden, 
this  reproach  of  baldness  of  color  would  not  now  apply  in 
the  same  degree  to  the  tree-planting  in  vogue. 

The  truth  is  that  color,  for  almost  every  one,  is  a  great 
and  positive  delight.  This  delight  may  be  more  sensuous 
and  less  purely  intellectual  than  that  inspired  by  agreeable 
form,  but  it  belongs  more  truly,  nevertheless,  to  the  restful 
physical  pleasure  associated  with  the  lawn.  Indeed  the 
mere  mention  of  the  word  color  on  the  lawn  calls  up  to 
the  memory  lovely  tints  of  foliage  and  flower,  and  few  will 
perhaps  acknowledge  that  they  have  neglected  color  for 
such  purposes.  In  most  cases  this  erroneous  impression 
comes  from  ignorance  of  possible  color  combinations  of  this 


116   AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 


character.  People  have  a  taste  and  regard  for  beauty  of 
foliage  of  every  kind,  but  the  trouble  is  their  knowledge  is 
defective. 

Ill  short,  I  would  venture  to  assert  that  if  the  mass  of 
cultured  men  and  women  could  realize—  that  is,  see  directly 
before  their  eyes,  as  it  were — a  tithe  of  the  lovely  composi- 
tions of  color  attainable  by  means  of  foliage  on  the  lawn, 
fashion  would  simply  declare  that  an  attractive  home  must 
include  such  effects  if  it  would  be  considered  at  all  com- 
plete. 

The  direct  proof  of  this  assertion  lies  in  the  falsely 
directed  enthusiasm  shown  for  the  Persian  rug  wrought 
into  the  lawn  with  bedding  plants,  echeverias,  alternantheras, 
and  the  like.  True,  the  Persian  rug  is  an  admirable  thing 
in  its  way,  an  absolute  work  of  art,  but  then  it  is  not 
always  in  harmony  with  the  natural  effects  suitable  to 
a  special  surface  of  greensward.  Yet  people  delight  in 
Persian-rug  or  carpet  gardening  from  a  simple  and  very 
reasonable  love  of  color.  I  contend,  indeed,  that  carpet  or 
ribbon  gardening,  artistically  composed,  is  both  right  and 
proper  in  its  way,  only  it  should  be  subordinated  to,  as  well 
as  co-ordinated  with,  other  compositions  of  color  throughout 
the  entire  system  of  planting  on  any  special  lawn. 

With  the  object  of  inspiring  a  due  regard  for  the  charm- 
ing possibilities  of  color  composition  in  foliage  not  only 
dining  one  season  but  during  all  seasons,  I  propose  to  con- 
sider briefly  the  material  that  constitutes  one  of  these  effects, 
and  something  of  the  methods  by  which  it  can  be  best 
attained.  If  artists  were  all  gardeners  or  gardeners  all  ar- 
tists, these  effects  and  their  construction  would  be  familiar 


AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN.    117 

to  us  ;  as  it  is,  we  must  be  satisfied  with  a  suggestive  sketch, 
and  hope  that  the  love  for  lawn-planting  may  soon  grow 
sufficiently  to  demand  a  more  exhaustive  treatment  of  color 
composition  in  foliage  than  I  can  expect  to  give  at  the 
present  time. 

The  foliage  which  I  now  choose  for  consideration  is  that 
of  late  fall,  and  the  part  of  the  season  that  I  specially 
select  as  offering  the  most  lovely  and  varied  color  of  autumn 
is  that  which  is  frequently  called  Indian  summer.  We  all 
know  it.  There  is  possibly  nothing  of  the  kind  in  the 
world  that  surpasses  it.  The  shimmering  haze  and  indis- 
tinct view  of  objects  that  seem  to  wave  slightly  before  the 
eye,  the  brilliant  tints  of  outlying  trees  and  shrubs  relieved 
against  dark  foliage  and  naked  branches,  all  combine  to 
create  a  picture  of  surpassing  loveliness. 

As  well  might  I  attempt  to  explain  how  to  imitate  the 
tints  of  the  leaf  itself  as  to  discern  the  methods  by  which 
all  these  wonderful  effects  are  brought  together  in  field  and 
wood.  The  brisk,  pure  air  and  almost  faint  stillness  often 
add  to  the  glamour  of  the  scene.  In  short,  the  senses 
simply  luxuriate  in  the  feast  spread  before  them,  to  the  en- 
tire exclusion,  for  the  moment,  of  any  desire  to  explain  the 
why  and  wherefore.  Like  the  lotus  eaters  we  are  satisfied 
"  only  to  hear  and  see,"  but,  doubtless,  like  them  too,  only 
for  a  little  while,  in  spite  of  any  intimation  of  the  poet  to 
the  contrary.  When  the  time  comes  to  plant — and  we 
have  studied  the  subject — we  find,  however,  that  by  work- 
ing on  the  same  principles  as  nature  uses  in  her  favored 
spots,  we  can  secure  something  of  the  same  effect  on  our 
lawns.  It  may  not  indeed  have  the  peculiar  charm  of  true 


118   AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 


wildwood  scenery,  but  in  a  more  cultured,  dignified  way,  it 
may  be  quite  as  beautiful. 

Any  lawn  can  secure  more  or  less  of  these  autumnal 
color  effects,  but  large  lawns  where  the  attainment  of  dis- 
tance is  possible  will  compass  better  their  employment. 
The  00101*8  may  be  thus  seen  toned  down  to  their  loveliest 
shade,  and  that  wonderful  Indian  summer  atmosphere 
attained  which,  during  some,  not  all  seasons,  produces  such 
magical  effects.  Doubtless  smaller  lawns  can  and  should 
supply  charming  color  combinations  peculiar  to  this  season ; 
I  only  allude  to  the  superiority  of  large  lawns  for  the  pur- 
pose. 

Let  us  see  how  we  must  go  to  work  to  build  up  these 
effects.  In  the  first  place,  we  must  see  that  we  have  dark- 
green  or  brownish  backgrounds  and  recesses  against  which 
to  construct  our  most  brilliant  features.  In  fact,  some  of 
these  tender  grays  and  browns  of  autumn  are  truly  wonder- 
ful, and,  moreover,  a  part  of  the  picture  we  are  apt  to  over- 
look, although  if  they  were  left  out  we  would  at  once  miss 
them.  Of  what  then  are  these  backgrounds  composed  ? 
First  we  must  remember  that  the  autumnal  pictures  on  the 
lawn  and  in  the  woods  can  never  be  exactly  alike.  One  is 
cultivated  and  the  other  wild  nature.  While  therefore  the 
general  composition  is  constructed  on  like  principles,  the 
material  and  spirit  of  the  two  scenes,  if  I  may  use  such  an 
expression,  must  be  of  necessity  different. 

Thus  in  both  we  find  a  background,  in  the  main  of 
heavy  green,  brown,  or  gray,  varied  in  the  widest  and 
subtlest  manner  within  certain  limits,  but  the  material  used 
must  and  will  be  greatly  different.  Hickories  and  pep- 


AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN.    119 

peridges,  for  instance,  are  practically  ruled  out  from  lawn 
planting  of  any  kind  because  they  are  so  difficult  to  trans- 
plant and  grow.  On  the  other  hand,  the  lawn  may  employ 
many  foreign  varieties  of  trees  which  will  go  far  to  make 
up  for  any  lack  of  the  wild  beauty  of  native  trees  unsuited 
for  the  purpose.  Such  an  arrangement  of  trees  will  be 
characterized  by  dignity  and  a  choice  and  elegant  charm, 
suggesting  even  in  solitude  the  fitness  of  the  place  for 
human  occupation.  It  is  therefore  no  mere  imitation  of 
nature  we  should  attempt  on  our  lawns. 

The  very  first  and  best  tree,  for  instance,  to  use  in  the 
massed  and  green  part  of  our  autumnal  lawn  effect  is  the 
Norway  maple.  This  may  seem  a  little  strange  to  those 
not  familiar  with  trees,  for  maples  are  generally  looked 
upon  as  capable  of  distinguishing  themselves  in  fall  chiefly 
by  means  of  color.  But  the  Norway  maple  holds  a  dark- 
green  color  late,  and  finally  its  leaves  wither  and  drop  with- 
out making  any  special  exhibition  of  red  of  any  shade. 
Otherwise,  the  Norway  maple  is  considered  the  most 
generally  valuable  of  lawn  trees,  alike  for  fine  rounded 
contours,  rich  coloring,  and  healthy  long-lived  vigor.  It 
occupies  therefore  a  fitting  position  in  forming  the  mass  of 
the  background  of  a  plantation  made  for  autumnal  effect. 
If  some  pool  or  stream  happens  to  be  near  this  grouping 
the  effect  will  be  greatly  enhanced  by  appearing  the  second 
time  in  the  watery  mirror  of  its  surface. 

Having  secured  the  background  of  dark  green,  in  front 
of  which  to  build  up  other  elements  of  the  picture,  we 
must  be  careful  not  to  destroy  its  broad  loveliness  by  con- 
structing small  mixed-color  effects  after  the  Persian-rug 


120   AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 


type.  There  may  and  should  be,  doubtless,  variety  in  even 
the  background,  but  in  the  main  the  mass  effect  must  be  in 
this  case  dark  green.  Variety  may  be  obtained  by  white- 
stemmed  birches,  and  the  branches  even  of  deciduous  treea 
that  have  lost  their  leaves.  Deciduous  trees,  by  the  by, 
should  make  up  the  major  portion,  if  not  all,  of  our 
autumnal  effect.  Evergreens,  except  as  they  may  be  used 
here  and  there  very  sparingly  to  punctuate,  as  it  were,  the 
mass  of  the  background,  should  not  be  employed,  because, 
as  a  rule,  they  do  not  look  well  associated  with  deciduous, 
trees. 

Now  and  then  great  variety  of  form  may  be  attained  in 
the  background  by  using  in  the  immediate  outskirts  of  the 
grouping,  rigid-looking,  grotesque,  naked  branches,  like 
those  of  the  Japan  ginkgo  and  pyramidal  oak. 

The  Kentucky  coffee-tree  shows  in  this  background 
delicate,  pleasing  outlines,  early  denuded  as  it  is  of  foliage. 
Indeed  it  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  deciduous  treesr 
with  its  peculiar  trunk  and  branches,  and  its  light, 
feathery,  graceful  foliage.  Wide-spreading  branches  of  the 
curious  weeping  elm,  lately  referred  to,  standing  well  for- 
ward in  the  mass,  serve  to  vary  the  effect  with  partially 
naked  limbs,  for  the  leaves  of  this  elni  hang  on  late. 

The  broad,  rounded  contours  of  that  loveliest  of  decidu- 
ous trees,  the  Cladrastis  tinctoria,  Virgilea  lutea,  or  yellow 
wood,  increase  this  variety  with  curious  branching  and  beauty 
of  yellow  fading  foliage.  The  background  is  thus  subtly 
shaded,  and  yet  broad  and  massive.  Dark-green  color 
characterizes  the  bulk  of  the  plantation,  while  all  sameness 
of  color  is  relieved  by  browns  and  grays  of  other  foliage,  and 


KENTUCKY   COFFEE-TREE. 

(GYMNOCLADUS  CANADENSIS.) 


122     AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 


occasional  naked  stems  and  branches.  These  other  colors  are 
subordinated,  as  well  as  softened,  into  due  sympathy  Avith 
the  autumnal  characteristics  of  this  particular  part  of  the 
season.  After  all,  the  background  should  be  employed 
mainly  as  a  foil  for  the  brighter  beauties  of  autumn.  It  is 
common  to  think  of  red  tints  as  the  noteworthy  colors  of 
autumn  foliage  ;  yet  there  are  many  others  which  are  very 
attractive,  as  even  our  brief  consideration  of  a  proper  back- 
ground has  already  shown  us. 

We  must  come  now  to  consider  the  higher  notes  or 
chords  of  our  symphony  of  color.  The  most  brilliant  effects 
are  reached  in  the  red  or  crimson  tints.  Scarlet  is  a  color 
almost  unknown  to  the  normal  foliage  of  hardy  plants. 
The  most  familiar  example  of  this  rich  chord  of  color  is 
found  in  the  autumn  tints  of  the  swamp,  or  falsely  named 
scarlet,  maple,  Acer  rubrum,  and  in  the  common  sugar  maple. 
Of  all  the  forms  of  maples,  except  the  shrubby  polymorphum 
from  Japan,  these  are  the  only  species  remarkable  for  their 
red  color  in  fall.  How  beautiful  they  are,  thousands  can 
testify  who  have  stood  entranced  before  the  sugar  maples 
of  the  hills  of  Vermont  or  the  scarlet  maples  on  the  banks 
of  the  Delaware.  Sugar  maples  sometimes  color  grandly, 
especially  on  hillsides. 

On  the  lawn,  these  reddish  tints  often  fail,  or  simply 
serve  to  warm  the  rich  golden-yellow  which  is  apt  to  take 
their  place.  For  that  matter,  who  has  not  often  seen  as 
fine  a  yellow  on  the  tulip  poplar !  We  should,  therefore, 
plant  the  tulip  poplar  in  the  background,  where  its  colors 
will  blend  agreeably  with  the  greens  and  browns  of  the 
other  trees.  The  sugar  maple,  also,  does  not  generally 


AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN.    123 

make  the  richest  points  of  color  in  the  landscape,  but 
must  be  contented  to  heighten  very  materially  the  quieter 
tints  of  the  background.  Since,  moreover,  it  is  elegant 
and  symmetrical  in  outline,  one  of  our  very  choicest 
shade  trees,  it  should  stand  well  forward  in  the  mass  or 
background. 

The  scarlet  or  red  maple  is  the  richest  in  autumnal  color 
of  all  maples  ;  I  was  about  to  say  of  all  trees.  It  seldom 
fails  during  any  autumn  to  change  more  or  less  splendidly  ; 
and  therefore  deserves  to  stand  out  a  single  flaming  monu- 
ment in  the  van  of  all  autumnal  color.  There  is  something 
quite  indescribable  in  the  glow  and  intensity  of  tint  often 
displayed  by  this  maple.  Is  it  ignorance  or  the  want  of 
seeing  eyes  that  causes  its  lack  of  employment  on  the  lawn  \ 
It  is  true,  the  scarlet  maple  is  slower-growing  than  the 
sugar  maple,  of  less  regular  and  pleasing  outline,  and 
certainly  less  beautiful  and  satisfactory  at  other  seasons  of 
the  year.  But  in  fall,  it  simply  reigns  supreme. 

Scarcely  less  beautiful  than  the  scarlet  maple  are  some 
of  the  oaks.  Many  of  them,  like  the  Turkey,  English,  and 
pyramidal  oaks,  are  grandly  effective  in  the  background 
with  their  solid  dark-green  tints.  But  the  white,  red,  and 
scarlet  oaks — American  species  all — take  on  the  most  dis- 
tinct and  glowing  autumnal  colors.  All  oaks  are  too  much 
neglected  in  lawn-planting.  Whether  for  color,  form,  or 
rugged  longevity,  they  are  invaluable  for  ornamental  pur- 
poses on  the  lawn.  Here,  too,  while  speaking  of  oaks,  I 
should  again  mention  the  golden  oak  ( '  Quercus  Concordia). 
This  tree  serves  as  an  instance  where — although  it  too 
is  apt  to  lose  its  beauty  somewhat  before  the  Indian 


124    AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 

summer— another  color  than  red  becomes,  by  its  intensity, 
almost  the  brilliant  feature  of  the  scene.  Its  special  peculi- 
arity appears  in  the  fact  that  it  becomes  more  and  more 
golden  all  summer  until  in  mid-autumn  it  stands  a  bright 
yellow  flame  of  health  and  vigor  amid  the  dull  and  fading 
tints  of  fall.  It  is  one  of  the  choicest  of  recent  introduc- 
tions, and  holds  its  foliage  late. 

Turning  again  to  the  consideration  of  reddish  autumnal 
tints,  we  find  the  liquid  ambar  presenting  the  deepest, 
darkest  crimson  on  its  more  or  less  star-shaped  leaves.  This 
tree  is  of  smaller  size  than  maples,  tulips,  or  oaks,  but  is 
one  of  our  half  dozen  thoroughly  excellent  autumn  trees. 
It  is  round-headed,  has  a  straight  rough  stem,  and  is  alto- 
gether a  very  characteristic  American  tree.  In  this  arrange- 
ment of  color  it  should  be  continually  remembered  that  we 
want  striking,  prominent  points  of  interest  on  which  the 
eye  may  rest  with  pleasure.  There  must  be  generally  no 
confusion,  no  mingling  in  the  case  of  these  interesting 
points  of  red  color.  The  group  of  red  trees  look  better 
standing  quite  away  from  any  general  green  mass,  a  flaming 
forerunner  or  standard-bearer  at  the  head  of  the  retreating 
hosts  of  autumn. 

Before  proceeding  to  dwell  on  beautiful  shrubs,  we 
must  look  a  moment  at  a  plant  that  is  almost  a  shrub  in 
habit,  but  which  merits  a  most  distinguished  position  on 
the  lawn.  This  plant  is  the  new  and  rare  Chinese  sumac 
(Rhux  OsbecJdi).  I  know  of  no  richer  red  than  that  which 
suffuses  its  large  leaf.  It  is  crimson,  changing  almost  to 
scarlet  in  certain  spots.  The  large  wing  or  prolongation  of 
each  leaf  on  either  side  of  the  stem  makes  it  still  more 


V. 


LIQUID  AMBAR. 


126   AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 

curious  and  effective.  In  habit  it  is  somewhat  straggling 
and  open,  but  the  color  is  positively  unsurpassed. 

Andromeda  arborea,or  Oxydendrum  arboreum,  the  sorrel 
tree,  is  another  most  excellent  plant  in  the  foreground  of 
our  autumn  picture.  The  leaves  hang  on  late,  and  assume 
lovely  variegations  of  mottled  green  and  red,  turning  later 
into  fine  reddish  crimson.  Though  a  native  plant,  this 
shiiib  is  rare.  It  should  certainly  be  as  common  as  its  slow 
growth  and  difficult  propagation  will  permit. 

Cwnus  floi'ida,  the  white  flowering  dogwood  of  early 
spring,  has  also  glowing  red  autumnal  tints  on  its  leaves, 
which  compose  themselves  in  broad  stratified  masses. 

All  this  color,  however,  in  the  case  of  shrubs  intended 
to  carry  out  the  general  design,  should  be  backed  up  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  colors  of  trees  were  treated — that  is, 
with  plants  of  similar  size  and  solid  green  foliage  like  the 
California  privet  and  laurel-leaved  willow.  Both  are  large 
and  rapid-growing,  well  calculated  to  make  a  pleasing  con- 
trast among  the  larger  contours  of  the  trees  which  constitute 
the  true  background.  A  partial  mingling  of  shrubs  and 
trees,  moreover,  gives  the  scene  a  natural  appearance.  The 
stems  of  the  trees  are  clothed  by  these  shrubs  much  as  they 
are  wont  to  be  in  woodland  glades.  For  this  purpose  the 
evergreen  thorn  comes  in  well  with  its  dark-green  or 
bronze-red  foliage,  neat,  beautiful,  and  compact,  with  that 
picturesque  irregularity  of  outline  peculiar  to  thorns 
generally. 

Few  shrubs  clothe  these  autumn  tree  trunks  more 
attractively  than  many  of  the  olive  or  gray-green  willows. 
They  put  forth  leaves,  moreover,  early  and  hold  their  foliage 


128   AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN, 


late.  Even  the  weeping  willow  does  this.  But  the  rose- 
mary willow,  with  narrow,  waving  leaves,  is  better  suited  for 
the  purpose.  Its  blue  green  produces  in  fall  that  charmingly 
cool  tone  so  pleasing  along  the  edge  of  a  mass  of  trees, 
especially  when  the  entire  scene  lies  on  the  banks  of  a 
pool  or  stream  of  water.  The  effect  is  repeated  on  the 
water  in  still  more  delicate  combinations,  and  affects  one 
like  a  subdued  distant  musical  note  reverberated  or  echoed 
on  waves  of  air.  Most  lawns  can  have  a  pool  of  water.  It  is 
certainly  desirable  as  a  means  of  displaying  autumn  colors 
with  peculiar  and  striking  effect  on  its  mirror-like  surface. 

But  do  not  forget  the  willows  of  many  species.  They 
form  a  notable  instance  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  the 
grays  and  greens  of  fall.  The  shimmering  atmosphere  of 
Indian  summer  suits  wonderfully  the  glowing  crimson  and 
sparkling  green  foliage  of  that  season.  Yet  even  during 
that  season  there  are  different  days  which  are  to  me  more 
lovely  still,  being  almost  solemn  with  their  pure  air,  clear 
and  buoyant  and  yet  devoid  of  brightness — like  the  interior 
of  some  great  cathedral.  It  is  for  these  autumnal  effects 
that  I  wish  to  secure  proper  employment  for  alders, 
birches,  oleasters,  and  willows. 

Do  you  know  the  oleaster  or  Elceagnus,  especially 
Elceagrws  liortcnsis  ?  It  is  a  vigorous,  easily  grown  plant, 
and  has  that  whitish  or  grayish-green  so  attractive  in  many 
combinations  of  foliage.  All  the  oleasters,  in  fact,  have 
more  or  less  of  these  whitish  tints,  but  Elaeagnus  hortensis 
is  one  of  the  best. 

For  delicate,  lovely  variegations  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year  except  winter,  I  know  of  nothing  finer  in  its  way  than 


AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN.    129 

Spircpa  Thunbergii.  Its  small  golden  green  leaves  have 
throughout  spring  and  summer  the  most  exquisite  coloring. 
In  fall,  however,  there  is  added  a  wonderful  flush  of  pink 
that  seems  to  me  fine  above  all  the  tints  of  autumn.  Such 
-a  plant  should  scarcely  stand  out  on  capes  and  promonto- 
ries of  foliage  among  flashing  reds  and  crimsons.  Its  deli- 
cate tints  harmonize  better  with  more  neutral  surrounding 
colors,  and  accord  generally  with  a  more  retired  position. 

We  find  a  more  brilliant  autumn  shrub  and  therefore 
one  to  be  planted  more  prominently  in  the  Spirceapruni- 
folia.  The  leaves  of  this  plant  are  small  and  of  a  shining 
green,  and  hang  on  late  in  fall  when  they  assume  a  deep-red 
color.  It  is  a  rapid-growing  shrub  and  should  be  planted 
well  in  the  foreground  about  the  base  of  some  brilliant 
scarlet  maple. 

Then  the  sumacs  !  We  all  know  them  in  fall  by  the 
roadside  with  their  crimson  leaves  and  great  erect  bunches 
of  velvety,  purple,  and  crimson  seed  vessels.  Central  Park, 
N.  Y.,  has  masses  and  territories  of  them  planted  in  the 
most  effective  manner.  All  around  the  brilliant  capes  and 
headlands  of  our  autumnal  picture  these  plants  prove  in- 
valuable for  strong  red  color.  There  is  nothing  neutral 
about  them.  They  are  steeped  in  one  deep  pervading 
luxuriance  of  tint.  But  we  need  not  content  ourselves  with 
even  their  excellent  beauty,  for  have  we  not  their  grander 
relatives,  near  cousins,  more  deeply  crimson,  if  possible,  and 
of  finer  form  and  aspect  ?  I  refer  to  Rhus  glabra  laciniata 
and  Khus  Osleckii.  One  of  these,  the  former,  is  a  well- 
known  though  choice  lawn  plant,  curiously  and  distinctly 
cut-leaved.  The  latter,  the  most  effective  of  all,  Rhus 


130     AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 


Osleclcii,  the  Chinese  sumac,  has  already  been  mentioned 
incidentally.  It  is  as  much  of  a  tree  as  a  shrub,  and  may 
very  properly  head  a  mass  of  shrubbery  thrown  out  here 
and  there  from  the  general  grouping  of  trees. 

Nor  must  we  forget  to  use  in  our  groupings  for  autumn 
effect,  the  rich  crimson  wood  of  the  red-stemmed  dogwood 
amid  the  soft  browns  and  grays  or  brilliant  greens  of  other 
foliage. 

The  yellow  of  the  golden  willow  is  also  brilliantly  effec- 
tive in  such  combinations.  The  importance  of  tints  and 
forms  of  naked  branches  in  producing  lovely  effects  in  fall 
must  never  be  overlooked. 

For  characteristic  strength  and  rigidity  of  outline  the 
purple  berbeny  is  also  one  of  these  plants  remarkable  on  the 
lawn  in  fall  for  other  qualities  than  color.  The  purple  ber- 
berry, however,  has  much  rich  color  on  its  leaves  in  fall. 
For  more  delicate  and  exquisite  variegations  of  red  among 
shrubs,  however,  we  must  turn  to  the  Japanese  polynior- 
phum  maples.  Nothing  can  be  more  lovely  than  their 
tints  in  autumn,  except  the  tints  of  the  same  plant  in  June. 
As  an  effective  feature  on  the  point  of  some  shrub  group 
intended  for  autumnal  effect,  few  plants  can  equal  and  none 
surpass  these  Japanese  maples. 

Yet  variety  of  effect  in  lawn-planting  for  autumnal 
beauty  need  not  stop  here.  There  are  whole  genera  of 
red-  or  yellow-berried  plants  which  are  very  striking  and 
effective  even  at  a  little  distance.  First  and  foremost  are  the 
jE/uonymuseSj  with  brilliant  scarlet  four-  or  five-hooded  seed- 
vessels  that  hang  on  far  into  November,  and  even  Decem- 
ber. A  good  specimen  of  Euonymus  latifoliiis,  for  instance, 


AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN.    131 

presents  one  of  the  most  splendid  sights  of  the  year,  with 
its  dark-green  foliage  literally  studded  with  scarlet  or 
crimson  fruit.  The  European  Euon/ymus  and  its  varieties 
display  the  finest  masses  of  color,  although  the  American 
kinds  bear  very  attractive  fruit.  Both  countries  have 
sorts  that  turn  purple  in  fall  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
the  prevailing  hue  of  the  genus  is  green  until  veiy  late. 

There  are  also  bush  honeysuckles,  mountain  ashes,  the 
black  alder,  Ilex  verticillata,  and  the  snow-ball,  Viburnum 
lantana,  all  remarkable  for  their  brilliant  crimson  or  orange 
berries.  Very  remarkable,  too,  is  the  snowberry  or  Sym- 
pJioricarpus  racemosus  bearing  clusters  of  snow-white  waxen 
fruit.  The  dark-purple  berried  Indian  currant,  Symphori- 
carpus  vulgariSj  is  less  remarkable  though  very  attrac- 
tive. Callicarpa  purpurea,  with  steel-blue  bead-like  ber- 
ries, is  also  very  pretty  in  autumn.  Mahonias  have  small 
bright-blue  seed-vessels  in  autumn,  and  such  broad,  shining, 
picturesque  foliage  that  no  well  appointed  shrubbery  can 
afford  to  neglect  fhem.  The  little  broad  picturesque  Ber- 
beris  TJiunbergii  has  also  charming  autumn  tints  and  bright- 
red  berries. 

Nor  should  we  forget  the  lovely  effects  accomplished 
by  climbing  vines  in  fall.  Most  remarkable  for  color  and 
vigor  is  the  Virginia  creeper  or  Ampelopsis  in  all  is  forms. 
The  crimson  garlands  it  wreathes  about  the  naked  or  dead 
trunks  of  prominent  trees  are  very  effective,  because  so  con- 
centrated and  so  distinctly  contrasted  with  adjacent  sombre 
coloring.  More  beautiful,  if  possible,  than  our  Virginia 
creeper  is  its  near  relative  Ampelopsis  Veitchii  or  tricuspi- 
data  of  Japan.  This  vine  is  unquestionably  the  finest  of 


132    AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 

all  climbers  in  fall.  The  outline  of  its  leaves  and  the 
lustre  of  its  tints  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  are  very 
beautiful,  but  in  fall  its  subtle  hues  of  red  and  green 
are  positively  unsurpassed  in  their  way. 

Celastrm  scandem,  the  common  bitter-sweet,  is  well 
worth  planting  for  autumn  effect  at  the  base  of  dead  or 
naked  trunks.  It  is  often  brilliantly  crimson  and  grows 
vigorously,  bearing  rich  orange-colored  berries. 

In  thus  dwelling  on  certain  plants  suitable  for  produ- 
cing fine  autumnal  colors,  I  have  not  attempted  to  describe 
the  entire  list.  It  is  enough  that  those  enumerated  consti- 
tute a  rich  collection  of  lovely  colors.  Autumnal  nature 
leaves  us  splendidly.  Her  falling  robes  are  gathered  about 
her  in  such  a  regal  fashion,  and  amid  such  pure  airs  and 
tender  skies,  that  it  hardly  seems  right  to  mourn  for  her. 
The  sadness  of  her  passing  away  is  forgotten  in  the  effect 
of  her  proud  splendor  and  the  certainty  of  her  resurrection 
in  a  few  months. 

Is  it  not  somewhat  strange  that  these  effects  and  combi- 
nations are  seldom  attempted  on  the  lawn.  An  army  with 
banners  on  the  greensward  could  hardly  be  more  impres- 
sive than  such  scenes  if  approached  for  the  first  time.  I 
think,  moreover,  the  magnificence  of  these  effects  is  intensi- 
fied by  the  uncertainty  that  attaches  itself  to  their  yearly 
recurrence.  No  one  has  fathomed  the  laws  that  regulate 
their  development.  It  is  not  frost,  nor  dry  weather,  nor 
rain  exactly  that  favors  their  greatest  brilliance.  Doubtless 
maturity  and  decay  are  the  main  factors  in  their  production, 
yet  some  years  we  hardly  find  them  at  all,  and  again  the 
glow  will  burst  upon  us  when  we  least  expect  it,  and  when 


AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN.    133 


the  character  of  the  maturity  and  decay  would  lead  us  to 
look  for  prevailing  dtilness. 

Enjoyment  of  bright  color  in  peculiar  combination  I 
believe  to  be  the  keynote  of  the  bulk  of  all  this  autumnal 
pleasure  found  in  the  changing  hues  of  trees.  No  painter, 
therefore,  should  prize  color  effects  more  highly  than  the 
lawn-planter,  nor  seek  to  compose  more  artistically  the  tints 
at  his  command.  The  limitations  of  his  picture  are  per- 
haps broader,  more  subtle,  and  less  defined  than  those  of 
the  painter,  but  very  much  the  same  in  kind.  He  cannot  per- 
haps count  on  results  years  hence,  as  the  painter  can  on  the 
effect  of  the  strokes  of  his  brush,  but  nature  helps  him  more 
generously  in  the  management  of  his  material.  The  lawn- 
planter  may  place  himself  implicitly  under  the  control  of  na- 
ture's wonderful  processes,  and  by  simply  working  on  natur- 
al principles  he  will  attain  the  most  delightful  results.  They 
will  not  be  exactly  woodland  scenes  that  have  at  times  start- 
led him  by  their  solemn,  luxuriant  grandeur.  Yet,  consisting 
as  they  do  of  cultured  and  dignified  specimen  plants  congre- 
gated together  on  the  same  principles  as  those  of  the  woods, 
they  will  suit  better  the  association  of  the  home  circle.  If 
we  could  have  the  bit  of  attractive  autumn  woodland  trans- 
ferred entire  just  as  it  was  to  our  very  doors  we  would  not 
like  its  unkempt  condition.  The  more  artificial  scene  re- 
ferred to  would  suit  us,  very  properly,  far  better.  We  must 
remember  that  good  lawn-planting  must  be  founded  only 
on  nature's  methods  of  accomplishing  similar  effects  ;  in  a 
word,  the  spirit  of  our  new  work,  as  already  remarked, 
though  ever  so  natural,  must  be  cultured  and  dignified,  in 
proper  accord  with  that  of  our  best  homes. 


134   AUTUMNAL  COLOR  ON  THE  LAWN. 

To  sum  up,  we  do  not  want  a  Persian  rug  on  our  autumn 
lawns,  nor  a  Lap-hazard,  inartistic  dotting  about  of  plants. 
Much  less  do  we  want  a  wild  wood  about  our  doors  at  any 
time.  But  we  do  want  solid  backgrounds  of  greens,  and 
browns,  and  grays,  intermingled  with  naked  branches.  The 
richer  colors  we  need  on  outer  boundaries,  and  flashing  bits 
of  red  or  yellow,  singly  or  on  prominent  points,  and  beyond 
all,  up  to  the  very  house,  broad  stretches  of  greensward. 


C    ,;r   r  £^  L^m]l]if_^y-       /C'.''jfei/*Vf.1"'.'x«    ''''  ^' 


CHAPTER  VIM. 

LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 


LEARLY  preconceived  effects  are  con- 
trived for  spring  and  summer,  both 
on  parks  and  lawns.  Outline  and 
form,  singly  and  in  mass,  have  a  fair 
degree  of  attention  paid  them  during 
these  seasons,  but  combinations  of 
color  attract  less  attention  during 
even  the  "  perfect  days  of  June."  Later  on,  as  summer  hues 
fade,  still  less  thought  is  given  to  securing  renewed  beauty 
of  foliage  and  flower  by  employing  such  plants  as  are 
specially  fine  in  August  and  September.  Such  plants  may 
indeed  be  set  out,  but  this  is  seldom  done  with  a  conscious 
intention  of  prolonging  the  season  of  beautiful  foliage,  or  of 
producing  distinct  compositions.  In  autumn,  finally,  two 
specially  charming  objects  may  be  and  sometimes  are  sought 
in  the  use  of  plants.  One  looks  to  the  retention  of  a  rich, 
healthy,  green  foliage  as  late  as  possible  by  means  of  cer- 
tain oaks,  beeches,  elms,  and  golden  and  green  conifers, 
while  another  employs  the  wonderful  crimson  and  gold 


136  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 


tints  of  maples,  liquidambars,  sumac,  etc.,  to  construct  the 
lovely  pictures  naturally  peculiar  to  the  season. 

I  am  sorry  to  say,  however,  that  we  find  the  last  essay 
made  in  the  most  tentative  manner.  Most  people  who  at- 
tempt the  experiment  are  satisfied  with  a  scarlet  maple  or 
two,  or  a  liquidambar.  It  seems  hardly  to  have  entered 
their  minds  that  in  thus  combining  on  the  lawn  unrivalled 
autumnal  color  they  have  at  hand  possible  mass  effects  of 
the  finest  character.  They  look  with  pleasure  in  fall  at 
glades  of  oak,  pepperidge,  and  maple  entwined  with  blood- 
red  Virginia  creepers,  and  never  think  of  analyzing  the 
composition  of  the  charming  effect,  much  less  seek  to  develop 
the  same  thing,  as  it  were,  on  their  lawns.  It  is  this  apathy 
in  regard  to  a  thousand  natural  charms  that  ask  for  recog- 
nition at  our  very  doors  that  impels  me  to  consider  briefly 
one  department  of  this  subject,  namely,  the  production  of 
domestic  winter  landscape.  I  choose  it  because,  after  the 
varied  attractions  of  June,  lawn-planting  for  winter  effect 
seems  to  me  worthy  of  more  distinct  treatment  than  that  of 
either  of  the  other  seasons. 

A  portion  of  the  lawn  which  can  be  seen  as  a  picture 
through  the  frame  made  by  the  outline  of  a  certain  window 
should  be  so  planted  that  it  will  always  be  sure  to  present 
a  delightful  scene  during  the  varied  changes  of  winter, 
when  one  is  necessarily  kept  within  doors  more  than  in 
summer.  Nor  need  there  be  any  detriment  wrought  to  the 
general  character  of  the  lawn  by  this  limited  operation,  if 
only  a  broad,  systematic  treatment  be  maintained  every- 
where on  all  parts  of  the  place. 

Let  us,  then,  look  out  upon  our  lawn,  and  see  where  and 


LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT.  137 

how  we  can  best  produce  the  desired  result.  I  assume  that 
most  of  us  possess  lawns  of  limited  dimensions  ;  in  the  case 
of  the  larger  lawns,  their  treatment  may  be  considered  by 
regular  experts.  The  small  landholder,  however,  with  his 
few  hundred  square  feet  of  land,  must  generally  bestow 
such  treatment  as  he  can  give  himself,  with  the  help  of  in- 
ferior labor.  Moreover,  a  thousand  are  interested  in  small 
holdings  where  one  possesses  or  cares  for  the  grand  estate. 

Most  houses  have  several  windows,  any  one  of  which 
may  be  selected  for  the  frame  of  our  winter  picture.  Other 
things  being  equal,  the  window  should  be  chosen  that  looks 
out  on  the  bleakest  part  of  the  lawn,  or  in  some  direction 
where  objects  would  otherwise  be  visible  which  it  is  desir- 
able to  screen.  In  either  case,  it  will  be  found  that  ever- 
greens, of  which  all  artificial  winter  landscapes  should  be 
more  or  less  composed,  serve  to  modify  and  render  cosey 
bleak  places,  as  well  as  to  hide  unsightly  details.  Fre- 
quently this  point  lies  on  the  northwest  part  of  the  grounds. 
Complete  unity,  however,  must  exist  between  the  treatment 
of  this  and  other  sections  of  the  lawn ;  otherwise  every- 
thing will  have  a  loose,  straggling,  semi-detached  look,  as  if 
the  plants  had  happened  together  by  chance,  and  were  not 
at  all  sure  that  they  were  worthily  treated  or  comfortably 
situated. 

The  general  outline  of  the  masses  of  foliage  will  natu- 
rally be  made  coincident  with  the  boundary  lines  of  the 
property,  except  as  glimpses  without  are  desired ;  so  that 
when  we  use  the  larger  evergreens  they  will  very  properly 
occupy  the  background  of  the  picture.  In  other  words, 
their  rich,  solid  mass  will  make  a  bold  and  suitable  foil, 


138  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 

both  summer  and  winter,  for  the  more  delicate  tints  and 
outlines  of  smaller  evergreen  and  deciduous  plants.  For 
this,  indeed,  is  one  of  the  peculiar  features  of  our  winter- 
lawn  :  that  it  uses  deciduous  plants,  plants  devoid  of  foliage, 
as  freely  as  evergreens,  in  the  winter  picture. 

Nothing  in  the  woods  can  surpass  the  sweeping  grace  of 
fold  on  fold  of  snow  swathing  the  dark,  drooping  branches 
of  the  hardy  spruces  that  make  up  the  mass  of  the  back- 
ground. Pine  and  hemlock  may  alternate  now  and  then 
with  Norway  spruces,  and  vary  the  charm  of  this  back- 
ground with  tho  bright  green  or  bluish  tints  of  the  former 
and  the  peculiar  light  bluish-gray  of  the  latter  The  pines, 
especially  those  of  the  mug  tins  species,  stand  firm,  rugged, 
and  strong,  and  the  long  blue  needles  of  the  white  pine  lend 
just  sufficient  variety  of  tone  to  satisfy  the  eye.  For  grace 
nothing  can  surpass  the  hemlock,  which  readily  retains  in 
its  folds  sweeping  wreaths  of  snow  or  diadems  of  icicles. 

Rich  mass,  firm  outline,  and  evergreen  tints  of  the 
greatest  variety  characterize  the  view  thus  far  considered 
from  the  window.  But  we  have  only  begun  to  analyze 
the  many  possible  and  varied  effects.  Broad  spaces  of 
grass  slope  up  to  the  house  in  front,  and,  although  not 
green,  serve  to  establish  a  sufficient  distance  to  permit  the 
arrangement  of  a  middle-ground  as  well  as  a  foreground  and 
a  background.  This  middle-ground  is  always  to  me  the 
most  charming  part  of  any  section  of  the  lawn.  Elsewhere, 
mass  or  extreme  detail  obscures  one's  best  conception  of 
any  beautiful  plant.  In  the  middle-ground,  the  really 
choice  plant  offers  itself  to  the  eye  with  the  most  inviting 
effect.  Its  weak  points  are  thus  somewhat  hidden,  and  its 


LA  WN-PLANT1NG  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT.  139 


charms  are  enhanced  twofold  by  the  distance  that  here  just 
suffices,  not  only  to  lend  enchantment  to  the  view,  but  to 
give  an  adequate  impression  of  the  plant  considered  as  a 
whole.  The  plants  that  stand  nearest  the  evergreen  back- 
ground are  evergreen  also,  both  because  they  are  allied  by 
nature,  and  because  they  appear  most  bold  and  character- 
istic seen  at  a  little  distance  from  the  house.  One  excep- 
tion to  this  arrangement  may  be  effectively  made  by 
interspersing  among  the  evergreens  white  birches,  the 
value  of  which  can  hardly  be  overestimated  in  any  lawn- 
planting,  and  in  winter,  ornamentally  considered,  they  are 
almost  indispensable.  Notice  the  striking  effect  of  the  deli- 
cate, gleaming  white  stems  placed  here  and  there  directly 
against  the  dark  background  of  evergreens,  and  surrounded, 
perhaps,  by  fields  of  snow  and  ice.  See  how  the  contrast 
brightens  the  whole  scene,  and  how  curiously  the  white 
trunks  and  graceful  drooping  branches  bear  snow  wreaths 
or  icicles,  each  in  its  own  characteristic  way.  A  solid  back- 
ground of  evergreens  presents  much  variety  of  rich  color, 
blue,  green,  and  silver,  but  the  whole  effect  is,  as  it  were, 
punctuated  by  these  white  birches.  Nature  uses  the 
birches  most  delightfully  in  many  a  woodland  winter  scene, 
and  our  lawn  is,  we  find,  greatly  improved  by  the  free  use 
of  this  artistic  resource.  But  our  attention  is  specially 
claimed  by  the  specimens  occupying  the  middle-ground. 
Here,  too,  we  find  a  fair  admixture  of  evergreen  trees  ad- 
visable. The  evergreens  disposed  near  the  foreground  are 
of  medium,  and  in  some  cases  of  dwarf  size,  but  always  of 
interesting  character,  well  fitted  to  make  single  features  on 
the  lawn. 


140  LA  WN-PLANTJNG  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 


First  and  foremost  is  the  Nordmann's  silver  fir,  broad 
and  massive,  with  shining  silvery  leaves, — in  every  wny  a 
hardy,  slow-growing  evergreen,  of  noble  outline  and  special 
symmetry.  Though  grand  and  impressive,  it  needs  intelli- 
gent pruning,  and  for  successful  transplanting,  a  fibrous 
condition  of  roots  that  can  be  secured  by  frequent 
removal  in  the  nursery  and  systematic  root-pruning.  The 
same  remark  applies  to  all  silver  firs,  which  are  in  many 
senses  the  finest  evergreens  for  producing  winter  pictures. 
There  is  the  silver  fir  (Abies  amabilis),  lovely,  both  by 
name  and  nature,  and  the  still  finer  (Aides  nobilis),  of 
unsurpassed  blue  tints.  Hudson's  Bay  silver  fir,  of  the 
same  genus,  is  one  of  the  darkest,  hardiest,  and  most 
dwarfed  species,  specially  fitted  for  the  outskirts  of  groups, 
or  for  dotting  here  and  there  in  isolated  positions.  Par- 
sons' silver  fir  (Abies  Parsonsii)  has  wonderful  leaves, 
always  curling  upward,  long,  and  of  a  delicate  bluish-green 
color.  The  so-called  dwarf  silver  fir  (Abies  compactaj,  an 
intermediate  form  between  Hudson's  Bay  silver  fir  and 
Nordmann's  fir,  is  especially  noteworthy  for  hardiness,  sym- 
metry, and  compact  elegance.  It  should  be  one  of  the 
most  popular  of  evergreens. 

Then,  among  the  larger  forms,  we  note  the  Grecian 
silver  fir,  very  fine  and  lighter-colored.  The  weeping  silver 
fir  is  the  type,  perhaps,  of  the  statuesque  in  the  family. 
Intelligently  pruned,  it  develops  into  a  solid  weeping  col- 
umn of  dark  green.  But  here,  as  with  all  silver  firs,  if  we 
are  to  get  a  compact  growth  below,  the  leading  or  top  shoot 
must  be  pinched  off  from  time  to  time  during  May  or 
June.  If  possible  or,  rather,  if  not  incongruous  with  the 


ORIENTAL  SPRUCE. 

(PICEA   ORIENTALIS.) 


142  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 

remaining  part  of  the  composition,  it  is  well  to  place  each 
of  these  species,  firs,  spruces,  and  the  like,  by  themselves. 
Spruces  we  used  to  make  up  the  mass  of  the  background  ; 
but  then  there  are  spruces  not  only  adapted  for  this  pur- 
pose, but  suitable  for  general  planting  in  the  middle-ground, 
and  even  for  the  most  distinguished  positions  as  objects  of 
special  interest  in  the  foreground.  Any  one  looking  at  the 
dense  round  or  hemispherical  shape  of  the  Gregory  spruce, 
and  at  the  taller  though  slow-growing  columnar  form  of 
the  weeping  spruce,  would  scarcely  believe  that  this  and 
the  common  Norway  spruce  are  so  closely  akin.  The  blue 
tint  of  the  Colorado  spruce  ( Picea pungens )  shows  capacity 
for  varying  color  that  is  most  invaluable  for  winter  effect. 
Alcock's  spruce,  from  Japan,  has  also  lovely  variegations 
of  yellow,  silver,  and  green,  and  the  tiger-tail  spruce  (Picea 
politaj,  from  the  same  country,  is  rigid,  yellow,  and  charac- 
teristic, and  hardy  and  fine  in  many  ways. 

The  Oriental  spruce  is  perhaps  the  most  desirable  of  all 
the  spruces  for  both  winter  and  summer  landscape.  Its 
shining  dense  masses  are  remarkably  hardy  and  striking. 
It  belongs  rather  in  the  background,  as  somewhat  larger  in 
habit  than  the  others.  Nor  should  we  neglect  the  beautiful 
American  white  spruce,  hardy,  dense,  and  richly  colored. 
It  grows  more  slowly  than  the  common  Norway  spruce,  but 
eventually  attains  sufficient  size  to  associate  it  more  or  less 
with  that  evergreen.  The  most  noteworthy  spruces,  how- 
ever, for  winter-landscape  effects  are  the  weeping  hemlock 
spruce  and  the  weeping  Norway  spruce.  The  former  is  a 
charming  evergreen,  graceful  and  picturesque  with  soft 
curving  lines.  Its  light  color  and  delicate  tendrils  give  it 


LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT.   143 


an  almost  feminine  appearance.  The  rugged,  strong  out- 
line of  the  weeping  Norway  spruce,  on  the  other  hand, 
offers  the  greatest  con- 
trast to  the  habit  of 
this  hemlock,  and  de- 
lights the  eye,  espe- 
cially in  winter.  The 
long  branches  of  this 
slow  -  growing  ever- 
green droop  and  hug 
the  stem  in  most  per- 
sistent fashion,  now 
and  then  curling  up 
eccentric  shoots, 
which  afford  conven- 
ient lodgment  for  the 
snow.  Both  these 
striking  evergreens 
should  occupy  the 
middle-ground  of  the 
picture  in  specially  effective  positions.  A  cedar  of  Leb- 
anon, where  a  cedar  of  Lebanon  can  be  coaxed  to  grow,  is 
also  a  prize  on  the  winter  lawn. 

Among  the  pines  we  find,  perhaps,  our  most  lovely  and 
refined  winter  colors,  but  to  establish  pines  upon  the  lawn 
is  not  always  easy.  Unless  transplanted  frequently  in  the 
nursery,  pines  develop  naked  roots,  hard  to  remove  with 
safety.  The  spruces  and  arbor  vitaes  act  better,  but  silver 
firs  and  pines  are,  to  say  the  least,  troublesome  in  this 
respect.  The  most  lovely  pine,  to  me,  in  winter  is  the 


WEEPING  NORWAY  SPRUCE  AND  DWARF  PINE. 

(PICEA    EXCELSA    INVERTA   AND    PINUS   STROBUS    COMPAOTA.) 


144  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 


Bhotan  pine  ( Pinm  excels).  It  presents  such  pictu- 
resque open  masses,  and  the  leaves  are  so  long  and  deli- 
cately green  that  the 
eye  dwells  on  its 
varied  outlines  with 
exceeding  pleasure. 

Then  there  is  the 
Swiss  stone  pine 
(P.  cenibraj,  bluish- 
green,  and  extremely 
striking  in  winter, 
as  well  as  extremely 
hardy.  Among  the 
dwarf  pines  such 
forms  are  noteworthy 
as  the  dark  mughus 
and  mughus  compacta, 
the  finely  tinted  light- 
blue  dwarf  white 
pine,  and  the  more 
yellow  and  rounder  dwarf  Scotch.  Mughus  uncinata  is  also 
striking,  and,  although  dwarf,  quite  erect  in  habit.  The 
large-growing  pines  massed  in  the  background  among  the 
other  large  spruces  are  peculiarly  varied  in  color  and  form, 
and  often  very  beautiful,  laden  with  snow  and  ice.  Dark, 
massive  Austrian  pines  should  have  their  forms  displayed 
somewhat  more  prominently  than  the  rest,  while  the  deli- 
cate-lmed  and  more  sparsely-branched  white  pines  should 
be  grouped  directly  with  the  Norway  spruces,  for  the  sake 
of  artistic  breadth  combined  with  interesting  variety. 


CEDAR  OF  LEBANON. 

tCEDRUS    LIBAM.) 


LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT.  145 


Hemlocks  also  mass  well  in  the  background,  their  lighter 
colors  and  more  graceful  forms  relieving  the  sombre  char- 
acter of  the  adjoining 
spruces. 

In  the  outskirts 
of  groups  and  rather 
in  the  foreground, 
we  should  find  choice 
plants,  such  as  the 
rare  and  exquisite 
golden  Japanese  or 
sun-ray  pine  (Pinus 
Massaniana  variega- 
taj,  with  its  rich  and 
permanent  yellow,  so 
striking  in  fall  and 
winter,  and  the  slow- 
growing  and  extreme- 
ly rare  Japan  parasol 
pine  ( '  Sciadopitys  ver- 
ticillataj,  a  highly  prized  and  strange-looking  tree,  with 
dark  green  foliage  growing  in  distinct  whorls.  Nor  should 
we  forget  to  plant  in  such  positions  the  lovely  Japanese 
retinosporas,  of  delicate,  fern-like  appearance  and  unexcelled 
hardiness  of  habit. 

Such  plants  form  the  intermediate  shadings  or  half  tones 
of  the  picture,  presenting  as  they  do  in  winter  the  most 
delightful  tints  of  brown,  green,  and  gold.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  the  winter  coloring  of  evergreens  is  very 
different  from  that  of  summer.  In  many  cases,  like  that  of 


BHOTAN   PINE. 
(PINUS  EXCELSA.) 


146  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 

the  arbor  vifce,  these  winter  tints  are  dull  and  uninviting, 
for  which  reason,  in  spite  of  the  custom  to  the  contraiy,  I 
do  not  much  fancy  their  employment  for  winter  effects. 
But  the  retino&porag  are,  if  anything,  more  lovely  in  winter 
than  in  summer,  especially  in  their  mingling  of  brown  and 
gold.  The  really  golden  retinosporas  have  a  pure  yellow 
color  in  winter,  very  delightful  from  the  fresh  contrast  it 
affords  to  the  neutral  tints  of  the  surrounding  scenery. 

Of  like  character  is  the  bronze  gold  of  biota  elegan- 
tissima  aurea,  a  Chinese  golden  arbor  vitse.  There  is  a  kin- 
ship in  the  appearance  of  retinosporas  and  arbor  vitaas,  in 
which  the  former  have  greatly  the  advantage  in  varied 
beauty ;  but  we  will  do  well  to  employ  the  golden  bronze 
of  the  eleyantissima  arbor  vitae  whenever  we  can  give  it  a 
little  favoring  protection  from  cold,  which  is  fortunately  not 
needed  for  the  retinosporas.  There  are  exquisite  bluish- 
tinted  junipers,  also,  erect  and  torch-like  in  shape,  the  grace- 
ful lines  and  forms  of  which  can  be  ill  spared  from  any  part 
of  the  lawn  planted  for  winter  effect. 

The  regular  evergreen  shrubs  cannot,  of  course,  be  ne- 
glected. Rhododendron  foliage  is  broad,  massive,  and 
shining,  one  of  the  most  effective  features  in  winter  on  any 
lawn.  The  mahonias,  though  very  different  in  many  ways, 
have  the  same  general  effect,  and  should  be  employed, 
though  always  with  the  knowledge  that  they  will  fre- 
quently winter  kill,  that  is,  become  deciduous,  for  they 
rarely  die  from  cold.  Masses  of  these  mahonias  shine  and 
glisten  in  winter,  and  are  altogether  so  fine  that  we  must 
have  them,  notwithstanding  their  weakness.  The  tree  box 
is  also  rich,  solid,  and  very  attractive  during  the  cold 


148  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 

months,  although  not  always  very  hardy  in  the  Northern 
States.  It  is  an  old  plant,  but  merits,  especially  planted 
singly,  the  very  highest  consideration. 

Cotorwaxter  or  Cratcegus pyracantha,  the  evergreen  thorn, 
whether  used  for  hedges  or  as  a  single  plant,  is  always 


GINKGO  TREE,   IRISH  YEWS,  AND  WEEPING  SOPHORA. 

peculiarly  beautiful  in  winter.  Its  low,  dense  masses  of 
red  bronze  leaves,  small  and  regularly  formed,  present  a 
diversity  of  contour  of  the  most  pleasing  character.  Some- 
times a  large  mature  plant  lives  through  many  winters  with 
its  shining,  bright-green  color  unreddened  by  the  faintest 
touch  of  frost. 


JAPAN    PARASOL    PINE. 

(8CIADOPITY8   VERTICILLATA.) 


150   LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 


The  Irish  yew,  in  a  sheltered  place,  is  also  invaluable 
for  winter  effect. 

I  have  far  from  exhausted  the  list  of  evergreens  suitable 
for  our  picture,  but  have  mentioned  enough  to  give  rich  and 
abundant  color  and  form  to  a  landscape  otherwise  dead  and 
lifeless.  We  must  take  care  not  to  forget,  in  this  analysis 
of  the  constituents  of  charming  winter  effects  on  the  lawn, 
to  consider  the  many  beautiful  forms  and  even  colors  of 
naked  stems  and  bare  branches  of  deciduous  trees.  It  has 
been  already  noted  how  finely  white-stemmed  birches  con- 
trast with  the  background  of  evergreens,  not  only  in  color, 
but  in  delicate  variety  of  form. 

In  like  manner  we  have  effects  produced  by  other  de- 
ciduous plants  standing  singly  or  in  groups  by  themselves, 
or,  under  certain  circumstances,  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood and  outskirts  of  evergreens.  What  can  be  richer  in 
color,  for  instance,  than  the  numerous  crimson  shoots  of  the 
red-stemmed  dogwood  (Oornus  sanguined)  f  Then  we  may 
have  intermixed  with  it,  or  at  least  planted  in  close  neigh- 
borhood, the  golden  willow,  contrasting  yellow  stems  with 
crimson  ones.  The  red-twigged  linden  has  fine  reddish 
tints  in  winter  on  every  portion  of  its  current  year's  growth 
of  wood,  and  the  golden-barked  linden  is  useful  in  color  as 
contrast  to  the  golden  willow  and  red-stemmed  dogwood. 

The  trunk  of  the  striped  maple  (Acer  Pennsytvani- 
cum)  is  also  very  beautiful  in  winter  for  its  pink  and 
green.  This  is  not  hardy  everywhere  in  the  United  States, 
although  attractive  in  all  places  where  it  will  live.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  press  the  point  on  observant  lovers  of  trees 
that  the  forms  of  deciduous  plants  are  very  attractive  in 


OBTUSE-LEAVED  JAPANESE  CYPRESS. 
'RETINOSPORA  OBTUSA.) 


152  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 

their  winter  guise.  They  look  cold  and  poorly  clad,  it  is 
true,  but  the  broad  solid  tints  of  evergreens  readily  relieve 
this  bleak  effect.  And  how  grand  and  exquisite  they  are 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  tree,  whether  it  be  oak  or 
birch,  elm  or  beech  !  Two  of  the  finest  oaks  for  our 
purpose  are  the  over-cup  and  pyramidal,  although  of  the 
numerous  varieties  none  fail  to  be  effective  in  their  winter 
habit.  But  the  over-cup  oak  is  specially  striking  on 
account  of  its  rugged,  grotesque  twigs  and  branches,  and 
the  pyramidal  for  its  bold,  regular  form  and  rapid  gro wth. 
Elms,  too,  with  their  intersecting  Gothic  lines,  must  not 
be  forgotten  in  planting  for  winter;  neither  the  cork- 
barked  variety  nor  wide-reaching  weeping  elm. 

The  Japan  giiikgo  also  throws  out  great  arms  or 
branches  against  a  clear  blue  winter  sky  in  the  most  eccen- 
tric manner.  No  less  eccentric,  but  far  more  charming,  are 
the  noble  masses  of  curled  and  drooping  branches  and 
twigs  of  the  weeping  beech.  No  tree  is  more  picturesque 
in  winter,  and  no  evergreen  more  grand  and  striking.  The 
tossing  shapes  and  forms  it  assumes  are  myriad,  and  the 
play  of  color  on  the  icicles  it  at  times  supports,  is  a  wonder 
to  behold.  Its  silhouette  cut  against  the  sky  is  remarkable 
for  grace.  The  weeping  sophora  is  also  fine  in  winter, 
regularly  curving  downward,  more  dwarfed  and  less  odd 
than  the  weeping  beech.  Both  of  these  last-named  trees 
merit  the  choicest  and  most  conspicuous  positions  on  the 
lawn,  and  perhaps  the  middle  distance,  a  little  to  one  side, 
suits  their  proper  exhibition  best.  The  strange,  far-reaching 
branches  of  the  weeping  larch,  especially  when  laden  with 
snow,  are  picturesque  in  the  extreme. 


LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT.  153 

We  must  be  careful  always  to  keep  open  considerable 
stretches  of  turf,  endeavoring  rather  to  flank  than  to  cross 

with  plants  the  direct  line  of 
vision  through  to  the  back- 


PARSONS'  SILVER   FIR,  WEEPING  NORWAY  SPRUCE,  AND  WEEPINQ  LARCH. 

ground.  It  should  be  our  object  always  to  compose  a 
pleasing  landscape  for  winter  by  means  of  intelligently 
combined  color  and  form,  but  never  to  forget  the  homely 


154  LAWN-PLANTING  FOR  WINTER  EFFECT. 


needs  of  particular  plants  in  the  way  of  shelter  and  con- 
genial soil.  Fifty  feet  square,  or  less,  will  enable  one  to 
have  a  lovely  winter  picture,  provided  the  composer  can 
give  due  consideration  to  each  plant's  physiology  and 
possible  artistic  capacity,  while  fifty  acres  in  the  hands  of 
even  a  genius,  who  is  untutored,  can  hardly  help  producing 
abortive  or  overgrown  effects  at  any  season  of  the  year. 
All  this  means,  in  short,  that  an  artistic  eye,  sustained  by 
a  thorough  knowledge  and  sympathetic  management  of 
plants,  can  make  an  inexpensive  paradise  of  the  smallest 
home  lot  even  in  mid-winter. 


VT     .- 


CHAPTER  IX. 

GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


HE  lawn  we  have  defined  as  includ- 
ing trees,  shrubs,  rocks,  etc.,  and, 
above  all,  as  specially  essential,  we 
have  included  mown  or  closely  cut 
grass.  We  do  not,  therefore,  find 
on  the  lawn  a  proper  place  set 
apart  for  flowers.  They  doubt- 
less bloom  here,  there,  and  every- 
where on  existing  trees,  shrubs,  and  plants  of  all  kinds. 
Forming  a  very  perceptible  element  of  our  enjoyment  of 
the  lawn,  they  do  not,  however,  make  an  actual  part  of  our 
lawn  composition.  It  is  the  arrangement  of  foliage,  of  trees, 
and  shrubs,  and  grass  that  should  compose  and  characterize 
the  lawn.  Flowers  there  will  doubtless  be  everywhere,  on 
the  trees  and  shrubs  and  along  the  bases  of  masses  of 
foliage,  where  the  hardy  herbaceous  plants  will  complete 
and  accentuate  the  charming  junction  of  tree  and  shrub 
foliage  with  lawn  grass. 

But  I  believe  in  making  a  distinct    and   comfortable 
155 


156  GARDEN  FLOWERS. 

abode  for  flowers — in  a  word,  a  flower  garden,  and  an  old- 
fashioned  one,  if  you  choose  to  call  it  so.  It  should  be  one 
where  everything  conspires  to  favor  the  growth  of  flowers, 
so  that  one  may  gather  them  without  stint.  To  look  only 
at  a  tree  or  shrub  satisfies  the  observer,  but  flowers,  to 
be  enjoyed  to  the  full,  must  be  plucked,  their  fragrance  in- 
haled, and  their  beauty  of  detail  admired  at  leisure. 

It  would  seem  best,  at  this  point,  to  explain  what  plants 
I  mean  to  indicate  as  specially  suited  to  a  flower  garden. 
They  are  what  may  be  somewhat  technically  termed 
"hardy  herbaceous  perennial  plants,"  herbaceous  because 
their  growth  dies  down  during  the  winter  and  starts  up 
the  following  spring,  and  perennial  in  contradistinction  to 
annual  and  biennial,  because  they  continue  to  live  for  years. 

It  is,  of  course,  easy  to  name  shrubs  and  bedding  plants 
that  bear  plenty  of  flowers,  and  there  is  certainly  no  valid 
objection  to  planting  them  in  the  flower  garden.  Her- 
baceous plants,  however,  can  be  so  arranged  as  to  furnish 
bloom  from  March  to  Christmas,  and  an  abundance  of  it ; 
hence  it  seems  to  me  that  I  am  justified  in  recommend- 
ing them,  for  the  most  part,  to  supply  the  flower  garden. 
There  need  be  no  hard  and  fast  rules  controlling  the  selec- 
tion, as  there  are  many  plants  suited  for  the  flower  garden, 
such  as  hardy  rose  bushes,  that  we  could  not  well  do  with- 
out. It  is  indeed  the  proper  place  in  which  to  grow  them. 

The  method  of  growing  herbaceous  plants  differs  but 
little  from  that  which  applies  to  trees,  shrubs,  and  bedding. 
Well-drained,  rich,  and  mellow  soil  is  alike  congenial  to  all. 

As  to  the  best  method  of  arranging  herbaceous  plants 
and  the  most  suitable  site  for  a  flower  garden,  I  shall  take 


GARDEN  FLOWERS.  157 

the  liberty  of  leaving  that  for  consideration  in  a  subsequent 
chapter.  Suffice  it  to  say  that,  as  a  rule,  the  flower  garden 
should  be  arranged  somewhere  by  itself,  masked  by  trees 
and  shrubs,  so  that  it  may  not  interfere  with  the  unity, 
breadth,  and  simplicity  of  effect  of  the  lawns  and  tree  and 
shrub  plantations.  The  number  of  the  species  and  varieties 
of  hardy  herbaceous  plants  is  legion.  I  could  not  in  one 
chapter,  of  reasonable  length,  begin  to  discuss  all  that  are 
worthy  of  mention.  Since,  however,  the  object  of  this 
writing  is  rather  to  suggest  and  stimulate  to  farther  re- 
search than  to  exhaust  the  subject,  I  will  content  myself 
with  describing  a  few  of  the  best  known  and  most  easily 
obtained  kinds.  As  one  of  the  chief  requisites  of  a  flower 
garden  is  abundant  bloom  throughout  the  season,  I  purpose 
to  consider  briefly  the  spring,  the  early  summer,  the  late 
summer,  and  the  autumn  flowers. 

One  of  the  greatest  surprises  and  delights  of  the  year  is 
the  first  discovery  of  a  wild  flower  in  March.  It  should  be 
understood,  however,  to  prevent  disappointment,  that  the 
season  of  blooming  gets  much  mixed  during  some  years. 
Early  kinds  will  not  appear  until  well-known  later  ones 
have  arrived,  but  the  general  relation  of  the  bloom  will  be 
in  the  main  as  I  shall  give  it. 

There  are  few  plants  in  the  border  that  show  bloom, 
earlier  than  the  winter  heath  (Erica  lierbacea  earned).  It 
is  an  old  plant,  but  unfortunately  one  that  has  been  little 
used  in  this  country.  The  habit  is  low  and  spreading,  and 
the  flowers  appear  in  March  with  the  first  budding  of  vege- 
tation. Red  flowers  hang  on  their  branches  in  racemes.  A 
lovely  little  plant  that  also  comes  in  March  during  many 


1 58  GARDEN  FL O  WERS. 


years  is  the  bluets  (Houstonia  cceruka).  It  is  common 
enough  in  the  fields  and  woods  of  many  localities  of 
America,  but  is  none  the  less  well  deserving  of  cultiva- 
tion. In  height  it  only  reaches  about  four  inches,  and  the 
flowers  are  small,  light  blue,  pale  lilac,  or  often  almost 
white,  showing  a  yellowish  eye.  It  is  a  dainty  flower,  and 
does  well  in  the  front  part  of  the  border  or  in  rock-work. 
Saanfraga  cordifolia  (heart-leaved  saxifrage)  is  one  of  the 
earliest  of  plants.  Indeed,  it  some- 
times blooms  so  early  in  March 
that  the  flowers  are  injured  by  late 
frosts,  but  to  this  danger  all  very 
early  flowers  must  be  more  or  less 
*"  jj  '  exposed.  It  is  a  curious-lookinor 

"^  -  -.,  ^^Blc_  xjHSSsSsS'jSSsh!   '  & 

plant,  this  saxifrage,  when  in  bloom. 
The    thick,    fleshy    roots    bear     a 
cluster  of  large  heart-shaped,  thick 
HEART-LEAVED  SAXIFRAGE.      evergreen    leaves,  from   the    centre 

(SAXIFRAGA   CORDIFOUA.)  a  i     •      -i  .  .  •, 

01  which  arises,  in  early  spring,  a 

large  naked  stem,  bearing  at  the  top  a  spreading  cluster 
of  bell-shaped,  rose-colored  flowers.  In  height  it  is  some- 
times a  foot. 

Few  plants  give  more  delight  on  their  first  arrival  in 
spring,  and  afterwards  until  October,  than  the  violets,  the 
bird's-foot  violets  of  the  United  States  (  Viola  pedata). 
They  are  much  prized  in  Europe,  and  should  be  equally 
valued  here.  The  dark-green  leaves  are  handsomely  cut,  and 
the  pale  or  deep  blue  flowers,  an  inch  across,  are  very  abun- 
dant and  showy,  although  only  four  or  five  inches  high.  The 
pansy  bird's-foot  violet  (  V.  pedata  var.  Ucolor )  is  a  rare  and 


GARDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


159 


MOSS  PINK. 

(PHLOX  SUBULATA.) 


showy  variety,  and  bears  flowers  an  inch  and  a  half  across, 
and  of  the  deepest  velvety  purple.  Very  charming  in 
early  spring  are  the  dwarf 
phloxes  (Phlox  subulata).  It 
is  like  moss,  no  higher  than 
the  budding  grass,  and  has 
myriads  of  small  pink  flowers 
with  darker  centres.  Great 
masses  on  the  rocks  at  Central 
Park  along  the  east  and  west 
drives  make  for  visitors  one 
of  the  most  delightful  sur- 
prises of  early  spring.  One 
valuable  quality  of  this  phlox 
is  that  it  will  flourish  on  the 
smallest  amount  of  soil  directly  on  the  edge  of  rocks. 
There  is  a  fine,  pure  white  flowering  variety,  nwaliSy 
that  also  deserves  general  employment.  Phlox  amoana  is 
another  fine  pink  species  that  grows  somewhat  higher. 

The  hardy  columbines  in  the  season  of  bloom  are  all 
specially  attractive.  In  early  spring  we  have  the  Canada 
columbine  (Aquilegia  Canadensis ) ,  showing  abundant  red 
and  yellow  flowers.  This  is  a  showy  and  effective  plant,  and 
should  be  planted  in  every  arrangement  of  bedding  plants. 
It  is  particularly  effective  on  rock-work.  It  grows  one  to 
three  feet  high.  Some  of  the  anemones,  or  wind-flowers,, 
come  early  in  the  spring,  bearing  blue  and  white  flowers 
six  to  eight  inches  high,  like  Caroliniana  and  nemorosa  of 
the  United  States.  A.  patens  var.  Nuttalliana,  a  native 
American  plant  of  considerable  value,  is  one  of  the  largest 


160 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


flowered  blue  varied  species.     Anemone  Pukatilla,  Euro 
peau  pasque-flower,  has  finely  cut  leaves  and  solitary  dark 

shaggy,  purple  flowers. 
Anemone  sylvesti'is,  snow- 
drop wind  -  flower,  has 
pure  white  flowers,  two 
inches  across,  and  blooms 
in  April  and  May,  and 
sometimes  all  summer. 
It  is  only  a  foot  high 
and  is  charming.  All 
these  species  grow  about 
eight  to  ten  inches  high. 
Alyssum  saxatile  (golden 
tuft),  a  close  relative  of 
rock-candy  tuft,  comes 
very  early  in  spring,  has 
curious  gray-greeii  leaves  and  quantities  of  bright  yellow 
flowers.  It  conies  from  the  mountains  of  Southern  Europe, 
and  grows  about  a  foot  high.  Its  low  compact  masses  are 
excellent  for  rock-work.  Adonis  vernalis  (spring  adonis) 
is  a  showy  early  spring-flowering  plant  with  yellow  flowers 
two  or  three  inches  across  and  finely  cut  leaves.  It  comes 
from  Europe,  and  grows  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  high. 

There  is  a  class  of  herbaceous  plants  that  grow  in  close, 
low  tufts  that  should  be  used  throughout  a  mass  of  such 
plants  as  a  kind  of  carpet.  Dwarf  phlox  and  alyssum  are 
such  plants,  and  performing  this  office  in  a  still  more  marked 
degree,  comes  Arenaria  verna.  It  is  the  spring  sandwort, 
a  low  tufted  plant,  two  to  four  inches  high,  with  numerous 


EUROPEAN    PASQUE-FLOWER. 

(ANEMONE  PULSATILLA.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS.  161 

white  flowers  in  early  spring.  Rough  usage  has  little  effect 
oil  this  plant,  and  a  turf  might  be  made  of  it  that  would 
stand  much  better  than  grass  the  wear  and  tear  of  passing 
multitudes.  It  would,  moreover,  endure  unharmed  almost 
any  droughts.  Arabia  alpina  (alpine-rock  cress)  is  a 
spring-flowering  plant  about  six  inches  high  that  would 
also  make  a  good  carpet  in  a  group  of  herbaceous  plants. 
Its  small  flowers  are  white  and  profuse,  and  there  is  a  varie- 
gated-leaved form  that  is  also  attractive.  The  foliage  of  the 
ajugas  is  also  suited  for  the  carpet  effect,  although  some  of 
them  when  in  flower  are  nearly  a  foot  high.  The  blue 
flowers  are  not  nearly  so  valuable  as  the  dense  mat  of 
foliage.  There  is  one  species — reptans  alba  and  rubra — 
white-  and  red-leaved  bugle — that  is  particularly  valuable 
on  account  of  its  dark  purple  mats  of  leaves  four  to  six 
inches  high. 

The  aubrietias  are  valuable  low-growing  plants  that 
bloom  in  early  spring.  There  are  half  a  dozen  or  more 
kinds  having  dwarf-tufted  habits  that  more  or  less  fit  them 
for  the  carpet  effect. 
The  flowers  are  gen- 
erally of  a  bluish- 
purple  shade,  except 
A.  Leichtlinii,  which 
has  a  bright  rose- 
colored  bloom.  Au- 
brietias look  Well  STEMLESS  GENTIAN. 
planted  in  masses  (GENT.ANAACAUUS.) 

among  rocks.  Another  pretty  spring-blooming  plant,  suit- 
Able  for  carpet  effect,  is  the  mouse  ear  ( Cerastium  Bieber- 


162 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


steinii).  It  forms  dense  mats  of  bright  green  foliage,  six 
to  eight  inches  high,  and  is  covered  with  white  flowers  in 
early  spring.  Cerastium  tomentoswn  is  still  better  suited 
for  a  carpet  plant.  It  is  a  very  dwarf,  woolly  plant,  grow- 
ing one  to  three  inches  high,  and  bearing  small  white 
flowers.  The  pretty  stemless  gentian  (  Gentian  a  acaidis)  is 
an  alpine  plant,  one  to  three  inches  high.  It  forms  a  mass 
of  leathery  leaves,  and  bears  in  early  May  flowers  of  a  vase 

form,  two  inches  long 
and  blue  in  color,  as 
no  other  flower  but  a 
gentian  can  be.  It  is 
admirable  for  rock- 
work,  makes  a  good  car- 
pet, and  is  altogether  a 
charming  plant.  A  very 
pretty  dainty  plant,  six 
to  eight  inches  high,  is 
the  JJJpimedium,  bloom- 
ing in  May.  It  is  hardly, 
however,  suited  for  car- 
pet purposes.  The  foli- 
age is  neat,  but  not 
massive  enough,  and 
does  not  grow  in  tufts 
or  mats.  The  airy  clus- 
ters of  purplish  and  yellow  flowers  of  quaint  shape  also 
unfit  it  for  a  carpet.  It  should  be  planted  among  rocks  or 
by  itself,  where  its  charms  will  be  a  little  protected.  Its 
common  name  is  barrenwort,  and  it  is  an  alpine  plant. 


ALPINE  BARRENWORT. 
(EPIMEDIUM  ALPINUM.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


163 


ASTILBE  JAPONICA. 


The  best  species  of  the  genus  is  macranthum,  from  Japan, 
bearing  pure  white  flowers.  This  species  grows  ten  to 
fifteen  inches  high. 

A  well-known  plant  in  May  and 
June  is  Astilbe  Japonica,  incor- 
rectly called  Spircea  Japonica.  It 
has  interesting  dark-green  foliage, 
and  quantities  of  upright  growing 
spikes  or  clusters  of  creamy  white 
flowers.  It  grows  ten  to  twelve 
inches  high,  and  is  very  attractive. 
Oorydalis  nobilis  is  one  of  the 
finest  ornamental  herbaceous  plants. 
The  flowers,  which  appear  in  early  spring,  in  large  heads 
on  stout  stems,  are  of  a  rich  yellow  color.  It  disappears 
altogether  soon  after  flowering.  Deep  sandy  loam  suits  it, 
where  it  will  not  be  disturbed.  It  comes  from  Siberia. 
The  wild  pink,  or  Pennsylvania  catchfly  (Silene  Penn- 
sylvanica ) ,  is  to  be  commended  as 
a  spring  flower.  It  grows  four  to 
eight  inches  high,  bears  numerous 
pink  flowers,  and  is  decidedly  at- 
tractive. 

Every  one  has  heard  of  the 
common  wild  English  primrose 
(Primula  vulgaris),  which  produces 
sulphur-colored  flowers  in  spring. 
Its  beauty  and  associations  natur- 
ally make  it  valuable  to  us,  although  it  is  seldom  grown.  It 
seems  to  stand  our  winters  well,  and  if  planted  in  half- 


NOBLE  FUMITORY. 

NOBIUS.) 


164 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


shaded  spots  along  banks  and  moist  spots  will  doubtless 
stand  our  summers. 

Dicentraspectabilis,  sometimes  called  Dielytraspectabilis, 
is  one  of  the  bleeding-hearts  that  appears  in  spring  and 

blooms  on  into  early 
summer.  It  is  one 
of  the  best-known 
and  most  charming 
of  herbaceous  plants, 
with  graceful,  droop- 
ing racemes  of  heart- 
shaped  flowers  of 
rosy  crimson  and 
silvery  white.  It 
grows  one  to  two 
feet  high,  and  comes 
from  Northern  Chi- 
na. There  are  some 
pretty  spring-bloom- 
ing irises, — cristata,  the  crested  dwarf  iris,  is  one  of  them. 
It  is  a  little  native  plant  growing  only  three  to  six  inches 
high,  with  large  pale-blue  flowers.  Then  there  is  Iris 
pumila,  a  little  taller,  six  to  nine  inches  high,  with 
yellow,  white,  and  blue  flowers  in  early  spring.  Iris  verna 
(vernal  iris)  is  another  dwarf  species,  three  to  eight  inches 
high,  from  the  South,  with  violet-blue  flowers  in  May.  It 
is  very  fragrant,  and  is  a  rare  and  desirable  sort.  All  these 
little  spring  irises  are  well  fitted  for  planting  in  rock-work. 
The  spring  meadow  saffron  ( Bulbocodium  vernum)  is  per- 
haps the  earliest-flowering  hardy  bulb,  and  bears  purple 


BLEEDING    HEART. 
(DICENTRA  SPECTABILIS.) 


GARDEN  FL  O  WERS.  165 


crocus-like  flowers  in   March  and  April.     Like  all  early- 
flowering  kinds,  this  bulb  should  be  set  out  in  the  autumn. 
Anemone    Hepatica,    or    Hepatica 
triloba  (liver-leaf),  is  another  early- 
blooming  plant,  that  bears  beautiful 
deep-blue  flowers.     It  does  particu- 
larly well  in  shaded  rock- work  and 
half -shaded  spots  in  the  border.     It 
is  hardy    and    enduring,   and   well 
deserves  employment. 

The  genus   narcissus    has   been        SPRING  MEADOW  SAFFRON. 

,,     1  ,  (BULBOCODIUM  VERNUM.) 

for  a  long   time   well   known   and 

useful  for  spring  blooming.  The  bulbs  should  be  set 
out  in  fall,  from  September  to  December.  Usually  they 
will  bloom  satisfactorily  for  many  years,  in  which  case  it 
will  not,  of  course,  be  necessary  for  a  long  time  to  lift, 
divide,  and  re-set  them.  The  cheaper  sorts  may  be  used 
effectively  for  naturalizing  among  shrubs,  or  planting  in  the 
grass,  where  they  succeed  better  uncultivated  than  most 
other  bulbs,  on  account  of  their  hardy,  enduring  nature. 
There  is  something  specially  attractive  in  the  use  of  bulbs 
in  this  fashion,  and  particularly  the  early  daffodils,  "  golden 
daffodils,"  as  Wordsworth  says,  "tossing  their  heads  in 
sprightly  dance,"  but  after  all,  flowers  really  satisfy  us  better, 
and  do  better  in  the  garden,  where  we  can  coax  and  tend 
them  a  little.  Even  the  hardy  daffodil  in  the  sunny  garden 
border,  carefully  tended,  grows  better,  and  certainly  looks 
well  associated  with  congenial  friends.  It  is,  moreover,  not 
only  the  old  and  common  kinds  which  we  may  establish,  but  a 
great  variety  of  other  kinds  no  less  beautiful,  and  distinct 


166 


GARDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


from  the  common  one.  They  will  prolong  the  season  of 
bloom,  and  give  a  fine  variety  of  form.  Of  the  bolder  kinds 
suited  for  striking  effects  we 
should  name  Narcissus  maximus, 
N.  incomparabilis  and  its  forms, 
JV.  poeticus  and  its  varieties  (they 
succeed  each  other  in  blooming), 
N~.  odorus  (the  larger  jonquil), 
N.  tricolor  and  the  form  nearly 
allied  to  it,  JV!  cernuus.  Not  a 
few  others  wrould  do,  only  avoid- 
ing the  Italian  kinds  and  the 
alpine  and  Spanish  species. 

Of  the  types  named,  I  will 
describe  maximus,  or  trumpet 
maximus,  as  large,  bright  yellow,  single, 
and  very  early ;  incomparabilis,  single 
orange  phoenix,  with  large  primrose-colored 
flowers  having  a  sulphur 
crown  ;  there  is  another 
incomparabilis  which 
called  butter  and  eggs, 
bearing  flowers  double, 
yellow,  or  sulphur  with  a 
crimson  nectary ;  poeticus  (poet's  narcis- 
sus or  pheasant's  eye),  flowers  pure  white 
with  distinct  red  crown ;  odorus  (caniper- 
nelle  or  fragrant  jonquil),  golden-yellow 
flowers ;  bicolor,  very  large  white  flowers,  with  golden-yellow 
perianth ;  and  pseudo-narcissus  (daffodil  or  daffodowndilly). 


POET'S  NARCISSUS. 
(NARCISSUS  POETICUS.) 


TRUMPET  MAJOR. 

(NARCISSUS  MAJOR.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


167 


A  well-known  and  valued  bulb  for  spring  effect  is  the 
crocus.  Members  of  this  genus  bloom  in  the  fall,  but  I 
shall  only  speak  of  the  spring- 
flowering  kinds. 

They  come  so  early  in  the  spring, 
out   of   the   very   snow  sometimes, 
that  they  are  a  surprise  and  delight 
to  us.     When  the  crocuses  appear, 
spring  seems  to  be  actually  at  hand. 
They  are  white,  purple,  and  yellow, 
but  to  me  the  yellow  is  most  pleas- 
ing.   There  are  several  species  in  use 
in  gardens,  but  they  are  variable  and  not 
to  be  depended  on,  so  that  it  is  as  well 
to  buy  the  mixed   sorts  and  let  them 
come  up  white,  yellow,  or  purple,  as  they 
will.     They  should  be  planted  two  or 
three    inches    deep  and  close  together, 

even  an  inch  or  two 

apart,  to  get  their 

best  effect.     Every 

three  or  four  years 

they  require  to  be 

lifted     and     reset. 

They  are  charming 

planted  in  the  grow- 
ing grass  of  greensward,  but  they  run 

out  in  a  few  years,  having  a  much  less 
robust  constitution  than  the  daffodils,  which  often  linger 
here  and  there  in  grass  for  many  years.  The  best  so-called 


FRAGRANT    JONQUIL. 
(NARCISSUS  ODORUS.) 


DAFFODIL. 

(NARCISSUS  PSEUDO-NARCISSUS.) 


168 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


CROCUS  VERNUS. 


species  are  Crocus  Siisianus,  yellow  and  brown ;  C. 
blue,  purple,  and  white;  C.  verskvlor,  white,  lilac,  purple, 
and  gray-striped.  Hyacinths  look  well 
in  the  flower  garden  during  the  spring, 
and  last  for  years  often,  if  well  manured 
and  cultivated.  The  species,  //.  orien- 
taUsj  is  the  parent  of  the  innumerable 
and  brilliant  varieties  so  largely  imported 
from  Holland  to  meet  the  demand  for 
it  in  this  country.  Holland,  we  may  say, 
furnishes  bulbs  for  the  world,  whether 
tulips,  crocuses,  or  hyacinths,  or  for  that  matter  lilies  too. 
There  are  special  selections  of  unnamed  sorts  of  hyacinths  in 
different  shades  of  blue,  white,  red,  and  yellow,  made  by 
nurserymen  and  seedsmen,  and  they  may  be  procured  in  mix- 
ture or  in  separate  colors,  the  mixed  roots  being  less  expen- 
sive. The  different  colors  of  hyacinths  do  not  all  bloom  at 
one  time,  and  for  massing  in  mixtures,  it  is  necessary  to  plant 
the  bulbs  at  different  depths,  in  order  to  have  the  display  as- 
nearly  as  possible  simul- 
taneous in  all  its  variety. 
Blue  generally  comes 
first,  and  next  in  order, 
red,  white,  and  yellow. 
Blues  should  therefore 
be  planted  deepest,  say 
seven  or  eight  inches, 
and  the  others  propor- 
tionately shallower  in  their  order.  Usually  about  six 
inches  apart  is  suited  to  their  growth. 


WINTER  ACONITES. 
(ERANTHIS  HYEMALIS.) 


GARDEN  FLO  WERS. 


169 


THE  SNOWDROP. 
IGALANTHUS  NIVALIS.) 


The  gloiy  of  the  snow,  Chionodoxa  Lucilice,  is  a  bulb 
from  the  mountains  of  Asia  Minor.  It  grows  from  four  to 
eight  inches  high,  and  in  early  spring 
is  covered  with  spikes  of  the  most 
beautiful  sky-blue,  white-centred  flow- 
ers. Winter  aconite  (  Erantliis  liyema- 
lisjjalso  bears  beautiful  bright-yellow 
flowers  in  early  spring.  But  the  ear- 
liest of  all  these  early  bulbs  is  the 
snowdrop,  Galanthus  nivalis  and 
G.  Elwesii,  bearing  large  bell-shaped 
white  flowers,  which  often  peep  out 
in  January.  All  these  very  early-blooming  bulbs  are 
specially  attractive  planted  in  the  greensward,  where  their 
charms  are  relieved  by  the  first  green  of  spring.  Yet  the 
border  in  the  flower  garden  is  the  most  congenial  after  all, 
the  place  where  the  best  flowers  bloom. 

Many  of  the  irises  are  beautiful,  but  there  are  none  more 
delicately  and  daintily  beautiful  than 
the  bulbous  and  tuberous-rooted  species. 
Chief  among  these  are  the  golden-netted 
irises  (Iris  reticulata) .  The  flowers  are 
deep  violet-blue,  netted  with  fine  golden- 
yellow  lines.  It  is  early  blooming, 
fragrant,  and  hardy.  Iris  Iberica- 
(Chalcedonian  iris)  is  a  showy  species 
with  large  rich  purple  flowers,  beauti- 
fully veined,  and  spotted  with  a  black 
spot  on  each  petal.  It  blooms  somewhat  later  than  Iris 
reticulata.  There  is  a  well-known  pomponian  lily,  Lilium 


SCARLET  TURBAN  LILY. 
(LILIUM  POMPONIUM.) 


CRUCIANELLA  STYLOSA. 


170  GA RDEN  FL O  WERS. 

Pomponium,  that  blooms  comparatively  early  in  June.  The 
flowers  are  pendulous,  scarlet,  and  attractive.  The  plant 
comes  from  France  and  grows 
about  three  feet  high.  Cruda- 
nella  stylosa  is  an  ornamental 
plant,  diffusively  tufted  with  a 
profusion  of  weak,  straggling, 
procumbent  stems  clothed  with 
whorls  of  six  or  more  narrow 
lance-shaped  leaves  growing  about 
a  foot  high.  The  flowers  are 
borne  in  small  but  handsome 
terminal  heads,  and  are  bright  rose  or  pink,  with  long  styles 
protruding  conspicuously  beyond  the  corollas. 

I  propose  now  to  consider  some  of  the  summer-flowering 
plants,  the  plants  that  commence  to  bloom  in  June  or  early 
July,  and  oftentimes  continue  in  flower  throughout  the 
season.  There  are  many,  but  we  shall  attempt  to  consider 
only  a  few.  Acliillea  tomentosa  (downy  yarrow),  different 
from  most  herbaceous  plants,  displays  striking  and  attractive 
foliage,  but  the  flowers  are  pretty,  and  of  a  bright-yellow 
color.  It  is  only  six  or  eight  inches  high.  The  Aquilegias  or 
columbines  are  always  quaintly  beautiful,  and  there  are  none 
more  so  than  the  summer-blooming  ones.  A.  chrysantlta,  the 
golden  columbine,  is  probably  the  best,  because  it  produces 
golden-yellow  flowers  all  summer.  Like  all  Aquilegias,  the 
flowers  have  curious  long  spurs.  A.  ccerulea  (Rocky 
Mountain  columbine)  has  charming  blue  and  white 
flowers,  and  is  only  less  valuable  than  chrysantJia  because 
it  does  not  bloom  all  summer.  Both  of  these  columbines 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


171 


grow  two  to  three  feet  high.  Aquilegia  vulgar  is  (Mun- 
stead  giant)  is  of  garden  origin,  robust,  growing  three 
feet  high,  and  producing  pure  white  flowers  in  abundance. 
Armeria  maritima,  one  of  the  sea  pinks  or  thrifts,  bears 
attractive  rose-colored  flowers  and  broad  foliage  about  a 
foot  high. 

Asperula  odorata  is  the  common  woodruff  of  Northern 
Europe.  It  grows  six  to  twelve  inches  high  in  dense  tufts 
of  slender  stems  with  leaves  mostly  eight  in  a  whorl,  and  has 
flat  clusters  of  small  white 
flowers  in  summer.  When 
wilted  this  plant  has  the  odor 
of  new-mown  hay.  The  Cam- 
panulas or  harebells  are  of 
course  well  known  for  their 
dainty  beauty.  They  are  all 
summer-flowering,  but  per- 
haps Campanula  rotundifolia 
blooms  somewhat  earlier  than 
some  of  the  others.  It  is  a 
beautiful  native  species,  with, 
numerous  deep-blue  flowers. 
It  grows  only  six  to  twelve 
inches  high.  To  speak  of  the  lily  of  the  valley  in  praise, 
or  dwell  on  its  charms,  would  be  superfluous,  for  all  the 
world  knows  them.  The  dainty  bloom  pushes  its  white 
bells  from  the  sheathing  leaves  during  the  latter  part  of 
May  into  June. 

And  the  no  less  dainty  maiden's  pink  (Dianthus  del- 
toides)   conies   in    early  summer   also.      It    is    an    humble 


LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY. 


172 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


plant,  six   to   nine   inches  high,  and   the 
bright-pink  or  white  flowers,  with  the  dark 
or  white  circle  in  the  centre,  grow  out  of 
dense  tufts  of  grassy  leaves.     Then  there 
is   the   sweet-william   of    the   gardens    of 
earlier  days,  Dianthus  barbatus, 
with  deep  crimson  flowers,  and  a 
height  of  one  to  two  feet.     Final- 
ly, there  is  Dianthus  plumarius, 
the  garden  pink  or  the  cushion  pink,  forming 
broad  tufts  and  bearing  flowers  with  beauti- 
fully fringed  petals  and  a  delightfully  fragrant 
odor.    It  grows  only  six  or  eight  inches  high. 
Dicentra  eximia  (plumy  bleeding-heart)  is  a 
plant  from  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  nine  to 
eighteen  inches  high,  with  leaves  as  graceful 
as  those  of  a  fern.  The  flowers  are  rose-coiored, 
and    appear    all 
summer,  hanging  in 
graceful      racemes. 
The  Dicentra  spec- 
talilis,  scarcely  less 
beautiful,    comes 
earlier.  Iberiscorrce- 
folia  (corris-leaved 
perennial     candy 
tuft)  is  a  beautiful 
dwarf    evergreen 
shrub,    with    large 
pure  white  flowers. 




THE  MAIDEN'S  PINK  (DIANTHU3  DELTOIDES),  AND  THE  NIEREMBERQIA 
RIVULARIS. 


GARDEN  FL  O  WERS.  173 


The  summer-flowering  irises  are  also  important.  I  mean 
those  that  bloom  in  early  summer.  The  Florentine  iris,  or 
the  orris  root,  belongs  to  this  time.  It  bears  large  fragrant 
white  flowers  with  a  tinge  of  blue,  and  a  bright  yellow- 
white  tinged  with  pink  or  lilac  when  they  have  been  open 
for  some  days.  There  are  generally  many  flowers  com- 
pletely covering  the  stem.  The  Siberian  iris  is  tall  with 
narrow  leaves,  and  white  and  blue  and  delicate-veined 
flowers.  Iris  $iberica,'V&r.  licematophylla,  is  a  very  dark- 
leaved  early  flowering  kind  that  often  blooms  the  second 
and  third  time  during  the  season.  Linum  perenne,  the 
perennial  flax,  is  attractive  all  summer,  with  its  tufts  of 
narrow  foliage  and  its  bright  blue  flowers,  an  inch  or  more 
across,  which  seem,  on  their  slender  stalks,  semi-detached 
and  floating. 

No  garden  would,  of  course,  be  complete  without  its 
peonies  and  tall  phloxes.  The  herbaceous  peonies  present 
eveiy  shade  of  white,  pink,  rose, 
red,  crimson,  and  dark  purple 
among  their  scores  of  varieties. 
Their  flowers  are  perhaps  the 
largest  and  most  showy  of  any  we 
are  likely  to  plant  in  our  garden, 
and  make  a  great  display  at  a  dis- 
tance. I  wTill  mention  one  kind 
because  it  is  so  unique.  Pceonia 
tenuifolia,  fl.  pi.,  is  different  from 
all  others  on  account  of  its  abundant  finely  divided  foliage, 
from  the  midst  of  which  peer  out  large  double  brilliant 
dark-red  flowers.  The  tall  phloxes  to  be  seen  in  gardens 


174 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


SLENDER  LEAVED  PEONY. 

(p/EONIA   TENUIFOLIA,    FL.    PL.) 


are  usually  the  annual  kinds,  but  the  herbaceous  kind, 
P.  Carolina,  beai-s  beautiful  pink-purple  flowers,  more  than 
an  inch  across.  It  grows  about  a 
foot  high  and  blooms  all  summer. 
Phlox  stellaria,  starry  phlox,  is  a 
similar  free-blooming  summer  kind 
of  about  the  same  height  that  bears 
white  flowers. 

The  bachelor's-button  (Ranun- 
culus speciosus,  fl.  pi.),  grows  a  foot 
high,  and  displays  large  golden- 
yellow  flowers,  invariably  double. 
Silene  Virginica  (fire  pink)  is  one  of  the  finest  catchflies, 
and  produces  brilliant  scarlet  flowers,  an  inch  or  more 
in  diameter,  from  June  to  August.  It  grows  about  a  foot 
high.  Statices  are  among  the  best  and  most  desirable 
herbaceous  plants.  Their  flowers  are  of  long  duration, 
and  when  cut  and  dried  are  effec- 
tive for  winter  decoration,  as  they 
retain  their  color  in  a  dried  state. 
One  of  the  best  is  Statice  latifolia. 
It  bears  in  June  immense  panicles 
of  bright  blue  flowers,  often  two 
feet  across.  Its  native  place  is 
Southern  Russia,  and  it  only  grows 
about  a  foot  high.  The  familiar 
name  of  this  type  of  plant  is  wound- 
wort.  Meadow-rue  or  Thalictrmn, 
bearing  large  panicles  of  flowers  in  summer,  presents  one  of 
its  best  effects  in  speciosum,  a  fine  large  yellow-flowered  sort 


SEA  LAVENDER. 

(STATICE    LATIFOLIA.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


175 


with  handsome  leaves  which  grow  three  to  five  feet  high. 
Other  meadow-rues  bear  purple  flowers,  and  still  others 
white.  One  of  these  white  species  comes  from  Japan.  The 
spiderwort  ( Tradescantia  Virginica)  is  a  native  plant,  valu- 
able chiefly  for  its  continuous  production  during  summer  of 
its  peculiar  deep  violet-blue  flowers.  Trollius  Huropceus, 
European  globe-flower,  is  a  pretty  plant  with  large  lemon- 
colored  buttercup-like  flowers,  one  to  one  and  a  half  inches 
across,  on  long  stems.  It  grows  two 
feet  high,  blooms  from  June  to  Au- 
gust, and  comes  from  Arctic  Europe. 
There  is  a  large  double  orange-colored 
species  from  Japan  that  blooms  in  the 
spring.  Tunica  saxifraga,  rock  Tuni- 
ca, is  a  delicate  spreading  dwarf  plant 
that  bears  all  summer  a  profusion  of 
small  rosy-white  flowers.  It  grows 
six  to  ten  inches  high  and  is  excel- 
lent as  a  carpet  plant.  Viola  cornuta, 
horned  violet,  commences  to  bloom  in  spring  and  lasts 
all  summer.  It  is  not  unlike  the  common  violet,  and 
its  prevailing  tints  are  blue,  purple,  white,  and  yellow. 
It  is  a  valuable  violet  for  this  special  quality  of  continuous 
flowering. 

Among  the  flowers  that  bloom  still  later  in  summer  and 
even  in  early  fall,  I  will  mention  the  beautiful  A  chilleas,  or 
yarrows  or  milfoils.  The  Egyptian  yarrow  has  silvery  fern- 
like  foliage  and  yellow  flowers.  It  grows  twelve  to  eigh- 
teen inches  high.  A.fittipendidina  is  a  more  vigorous  showy 
species  that  displays  golden-yellow  flowers  in  dense,  flat 


ROCK  TUNICA. 

(TUNICA  SAXIFRAGA.) 


176 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


ACHILLEA  PTARMICA. 

desirable    and 


corymbs  and  lias  attractive  foliage.  It  grows  two  to 
three  feet  high  and  blooms  from  July  to  October.  A. 
millefolium  roseum,  rose-colored 
milfoil,  blooms  all  summer.  The 
leaves  are  finely  divided.  It 
grows  one  to  two  feet  high.  A. 
Ptarmica,  fl.  pi.,  sneezewort,  is  a 
showy  species  bearing  pure  white 
double  flowers.  It  grows  about  a 
foot  high. 

Anthemis  tinctoria,  the  yellow 
charnomile,  is  one  of  the  most 
showy  hardy  herbaceous  plants.  The 
flowers  are  golden  yellow  and  one  to  two  inches  across.  It 
grows  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high  and  blooms  from 
July  to  November.  AntJiericum  liliago,  St.  Bernard's  lily, 
grows  one  foot  to  one  and  a  half  foot  high.  The  leaves 
are  narrow-channelled,  in  con- 
siderable tufts.  It  produces 
lengthened  racemes  of  pure  white 
flowers  all  summer.  The  flowers 
are  open  and  spreading.  A. 
Liliastrum,  St.  Bruno's  lily,  differs 
from  the  last  chiefly  in  producing 
larger  flowers  that  are  not  spread- 
ing but  bell-shaped.  The  Ascle- 
pias,  butterfly  weed,  or  swal- 
low-wort, is  showy  and  effective 
in  masses.  It  comes  from  North  America.  A.  tuberosa 
is  one  of  the  best.  It  grows  one  to  two  feet  high.  The 


YELLOW  ASPHODEL. 
IASPHODELUS  LUTEUS.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS.  177 

stem  is  branched  above,  and  bears  numerous  umbels  of  the 
most  brilliant  orange  flowers  in  summer. 

The  asphodels  were  always   favorite  plants  with   the 
ancients   in   the  earliest  days   of   gardening.     They  have 


YELLOW  CHAMOMILE. 

(ANTHEMIS  TINCTORIA.) 


received  deserved  attention  within  a  few  years,  after  having 
been  wellnigh  lost  to  gardening.  They  come  from  South- 
ern Europe,  have  fleshy  bundled  roots,  narrow  leaves,  and 
tall,  simple,  or  branching  stems  which  bear  a  great  number 
of  white  or  yellow  lily-like  flowers.  A.,  luteus  is  one  of  the 


1 78  GARDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


best  varieties.  It  grows  two  to  four  feet  high,  and  has 
a  dense,  very  long  spike  of  fragrant  yellow  flowers  which 
last  a  long  time  in  summer.  The  asphodel  luxuriates  in 
rich,  deep,  moist  soil ;  and  the  stronger-growing  species  are 
fit  subjects  for  naturalizing  in  open  moist  woods,  and  by  the 
banks  of  streams  and  pieces  of  water. 

There  are  many  asters,  and  most  of  them  flower  from  Sep- 
tember to  November,  and  contribute  largely  to  the  beauty 
of  the  American  autumn  landscape.  One  or  two  species, 
however,  bloom  earlier.  A.  amellus,  var.  Bessaralicus 
(Russian  starwort),  one  of  the  best  and  largest  purple- 
flowered  species,  blooms  in  late  summer  and  early  autumn. 
It  grows  about  eighteen  inches  high.  A.  ptarmicoides  is 
a  white-flowered  species,  one  to  two  feet  high,  also  blooming 
in  August  and  September. 

Baptisia  australis  (blue  false  indigo)  is  from  the 
Southern  States,  and  grows  two  to  five  feet  high.  The 
foliage  is  handsome,  and  its  dark-blue  lupine-like  flowers 
hang  in  racemes  one  to  two  feet  long.  A  large  clump  is 
very  fine,  and  lasts  at  least  two  months  in  summer.  Calr 
lirrhoe  involucrata  (crimson  mallow)  is  one  of  the  most 
showy  of  crimson  flowers.  It  is  spreading  in  habit,  and 
bears  its  large  flowers  throughout  the  summer.  The  dainty 
harebells  or  bell-flowers  (Campanulas)  must  not  be  forgot- 
ten. C.  Carpatica,  from  the  Carpathian  Mountains,  is  one 
of  the  best.  It  is  a  handsome  tufted  plant  about  nine  inches 
high.  The  leaves  are  heart-shaped,  and  toothed  on  the  mar- 
gin, and  the  flowers,  growing  on  long  slender  stalks,  are 
large,  broadly  bell-shaped,  and  bright-blue.  It  flowers  from 
June  to  September.  C,  Carpatica  has  also  a  beautiful  pure 


GA  RDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


179 


AMERICAN   SENNA. 

(CASSIA    MARYLANDICA.) 


white  variety.  Cassia  Marylandica  (American  senna), 
growing  three  to  four  feet  high,  is  a  native  plant  well 
worthy  of  a  place  in  the  garden, 
where  it  should  have  abundant 
room,  as  it  forms  very  large  and 
showy  clumps.  The  light-green 
foliage  is  attractive,  and  the 
bright,  yellow,  oddly  shaped  flow- 
ers grow  in  abundant  clusters 
throughout  July  and  August. 
Most  of  the  clematises  are  climb- 
ers, but  there  are  bush  forms  that 
make  very  attractive  herbaceous 
plants.  C.  Da/vidiana  bears  large  clusters  of  fragrant  blue 
hyacinth-like  flowers ;  grows  three  feet  high,  and  is  quite 
erect  in  habit.  It  blooms  a  long  time  during  summer.  Q. 
integrifolia  is  another  erect  species,  one  to  two  feet  high, 
with  blue,  very  fragrant,  solitary,  nodding  flowers  one  to 
two  inches  across,  and  blooming  in  July  and  August.  O. 
recta  (upright  virgin's  bower)  is  an  old,  well-known  species, 
two  to  four  feet  high,  with  numerous  white  summer 
flowers. 

When  any  one  speaks  of  larkspurs,  my  memory  always 
carries  me  back  to  a  charming  old  flower-garden  that  I 
knew  long  ago  in  an  old  New  England  town.  The  larkspurs, 
or  Delphiniums,  make  a  numerous  group,  clearly  marked  and 
not  easily  confounded  with  either  of  their  nearest  relatives, 
the  columbines,  or  monk's-hoods.  A  large  number  of  rather 
variable  forms  are  comprised  among  them.  Their  style  of 
growth  is  bold  and  striking,  and  blue  and  purple,  purplish- 


180 


GARDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


red,  and  white  comprise  the  sum  of  their  colors.  These 
colors,  however,  are  so  bright  in  most  species  and  varieties 
that  when  considered  along  with  the  noble  plume-like  mode 
of  flowering  some  astonishment  may  be  fairly  expressed 
that  they  have  received  so  little  employment. 

Delphinium  elatum,   tall    larkspur,  grows   five   to   six 
feet  high  with  strong,  erect  stems  and  five-lobed   leaves. 

The  flowers  are  blue,  and 
appear  in  July,  August, 
and  September.  This  is 
one  of  the  oldest  species, 
a  native  of  Siberia,  and  is 
very  striking  and  hand- 
some. Delphinium  forma- 
sum,  beautiful  larkspur, 
however,  is  finer.  It  grows 
only  three  to  four  feet 
high,  with  stems  of  medium 
strength  and  straggling, 
and  produces  graceful  ra- 
cemes of  bright  gentian- 
blue  flowers.  It  blooms 
freely  from  June  to  Sep- 
tember. The  flowers  are  often  an  inch  across.  There  are 
some  fine  improved  double-flowering  varieties  of  D.  grandi- 
florum.  They  are  of  all  shades  of  blue,  with  large  very 
double  flowers  on  spikes  often  two  feet  long.  These  plants 
grow  four  to  five  feet  high,  and  flower  throughout  the  sum- 
mer  and  fall. 

Dictamnusfmxinella  (gas-plant)  grows  from  one  to  two 


GAS  PLANT. 
(DICTAMNUS  FRAXINELLA.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS.  181 

feet  high,  bears  spikes  of  curiously  shaped,  showy  flowers 
in  summer.  The  plant  on  a  warm  evening  gives  off  a  gas 
so  abundantly  that  a  lighted  match  applied  to  the  flower 
ignites  it  and  produces  a  bright  flash.  Digitalis purpurea 
(common  foxglove)  is  a  well-known  and  very  ornamental 
plant.  The  quaintly  shaped  flower  and  color,  varying  from 
white  to  dark  purple,  combine  to  produce  this  excellent 
effect.  It  grows  three  to 
five  feet  high.  Draco- 
cephalum  Ruyscliianum 
(hyssop-leaved  dragon's- 
head)  is  from  Europe,  and 
grows  from  twelve  to  eigh- 
teen inches  high.  It  is 
very  showy  in  summer, 
bearing  purplish-blue  flow- 
ers in  closely  whorled 
spikes  an  inch  long.  This 
is  the  best  of  the  species 
of  dragon's-heads. 

Eryngium  (ilpinmn  is 
a  very  pretty   plant   two 

feet    high,    looking    some-  QA.LLARD.A  GRAND.FLORA. 

thing  like  the  thistles  at  first  sight,  owing  to  the  peculiar 
character  of  the  leaves  surrounding  the  usually  dense, 
compact,  bluntly  spike-like  heads  of  flowers.  It  blooms 
in  July  and  August.  Euphorbia  corollata  (flowering 
spurge)  is  a  tall  branching  plant  two  to  three  feet  high, 
bearing  pure  white  flowers  in  heads  all  through  July  and 
as  late  as  October.  The  Gaillardias  (especially  Gaillardia 


182 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


GERANIUM  SANQUINhUM. 


grandiflora)  are  a  fine,  showy  family  from  the  Western 

States  that  have  been  much  improved  recently.  Gaillardia 
gratid'iflora  bears  bright  yellow  and 
red  flowers  on  stout,  erect  stems 
one  foot  high.  They  continue  in 
bloom  all  through  July,  August, 
and  September. 

Geranium  sanguineum,  blood- 
red  geranium,  is  from  Great  Britain 
and  grows  one  to  two  feet  high, 
with  spreading,  almost  trailing,  and 
much  intertwined  stems — forming 

in  well  developed  plants  finely  rounded  masses  about  two 

feet  wide.     The  leaves  are  roundish  and  much  and  deeply 

divided.     The  flowers,  one  and  a  half  inches  across,  grow 

singly  on  long,  slender  stalks,  are  large,  dark  red  or  purple, 

and  appear  in  greater  or  less  profusion  throughout  summer 

and  autumn. 

Gillenia    trifoliate,     Bowman's 

root,  is   a   native  plant   twelve  to 

eighteen  inches  high.     The  reddish 

stems  bear   handsomely-cut  foliage 

and  at  the  top  a  loose  open  head  of 

white  flowers,  sometimes  tinged  with 

rose.     The  branches  of  the  head  of 

flowers  are  so  slender  that  the  long- 

petaled  flowers  look  light,  floating, 

and  very  graceful. 

Funkia  subcordata  is  an  early  plantain  lily  and  so  is  F. 

ovata,  both  blooming  in  midsummer.     Its  flowers  grow  in 


BOWMAN'S  ROOT. 
(GILLENIA  TRIFOLIATAJ 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


183 


racemes  or  clusters  and  are  white  and  very  fragrant.     The 

leaves  of  these  plantain  lilies  are  large   and  showy,  egg- 

shaped,   and    slightly   heart-shaped 

at  the  base,  and   the  flower  stems 

rise    about    eighteen    inches    high. 

Gypsopliila  paniculata  comes  from 

the  Caucasus  and  grows  about  three 

feet  high  in  a  mass,  as  broad  as  tall, 

of  thread-like  sterna  bearing  abun- 

dant small  white  flowers.     It  is  a 

very   graceful    and   delicate   plant, 

blooming  from  midsummer  to  early 


PLANTAIN 


The  little  Helenium  Hoopesii  is  a  neat  "Western  plant 
twelve  to  fifteen  inches  high,  that  bears  large  orange-yellow 
flowers,  which  continue  blooming  a  long  time  in  summer. 
Hemeroccdlis  flava,  day  lily,  is  a  beautiful  plant  that 
bears  sweet-scented  lemon-yellow  flowers  on  steins  two  and 
a  half  feet  high.  It  blooms  in  midsummer. 

One  of  the  finest  old  garden  flowers  is  the  hollyhock 
with  cup-  or  rosette-shaped  flowers  studded  along  stems 
six  or  eight  feet  high.  The  colors  vary  from  white  to  red, 
dark  purple,  and  bright  yellow.  The  double  varieties  are 
much  prized,  but  I  confess  to  a  special  liking  for  the  old 
single  cup-  or  wineglass-shaped  kinds.  There  are  some 
shades  of  these  old  kinds  that  are  also  very  attractive,  ruby- 
or  wine-colored  and  pure  white.  The  growth  of  a  re- 
newed regard  for  the  simple  and  often  lovely  old  forms  of 
single  flowering  plants  is  a  promising  sign  in  horticulture. 
Heresy  though  it  may  seem  to  suggest  it,  I  am  sometimes 


184 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


GERMAN  IRIS. 

(|RIS   GEHMANICA.) 


inclined  to  think  the  double  flower  essentially  a  monstrosity. 

Strong  plants  of  hollyhocks  will  only  bloom   the  second 
year  after  planting. 

The  irises  are  perhaps  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  flowers  of  summer.  Of 
those  that  flower  in  summer  the  German 
iris  should  be  named  first,  being  first 
in  order  of  bloom.  The  ordinary  form 
has  violet-blue,  very  large  flowers,  but 
by  hybridization  fine  varieties  with  a 
great  range  of  beautiful  combinations 
of  color  have  been  secured.  The  blue 
changes  into  purple  and  bronze  and 
rose  and  yellow  and  white.  Some  of 
these  varieties  grow  three  feet  high 

and  have  flowers  four  inches  across.     The  gem  of  all  the 

irises,  however,  is   Iris  Kcempferi   from  Japan,   growing 

three  to  four  feet  high.     The  flower 

is  like  some  great  orchid  of  the  quaint- 
est form  and  differs  from  any  of  the 

ordinary  kinds  of  iris,  being  specially 

broad    and    flat.      These   flowers    are 

both  single   and   double  and  display 

the  greatest  variety  of  color  from  the 

purest  white  to  the  darkest  shades  of 

royal  purple,  through  pinks  and  blues, 

with  gold  and  other  markings.     The 

introduction   of   many   of   the   finest 

of  these  kinds  from  Japan  we  owe  to  Mr.  Thomas  Hogg. 
Of  no  less  value  than  the  summer-blooming  irises  are  the 


LILIUM  AURATUM. 


GARDEN  FLO  WERS. 


185 


lilies  of  July  and  August.  The  finest  of  these  is,  perhaps, 
LiUum  auratum.  It  is  a  grand  lily  with  white  flowers, 
spotted  with  maroon  and  a  gold 
band  through  the  centre  of  each  tifa^M&&? ..¥$> 
petal.  It  is  sometimes  a  little  diffi- 
cult to  grow.  L.  Batemanniw  is  also 
a  beautiful  summer  lily  from  Japan, 
with  flowers  of  a  clear  orange-apri- 
cot color,  unspotted.  L.  speciosum 
is  another  favorite  Japanese  lily  of 
easy  growth  and  general  adapta- 
bility. There  is  a  beautiful  white  LILIUM  SPECIOSUM. 
form  and  also  a  white  tinged  and  spotted  with  rose. 
One  of  the  best  native  species  is  I/ilium  svperbum,  Turk's- 
cap  lily,  with  flowers  of  a  bright  orange,  marked  with  purple 
spots  and  beautifully  recurved.  This  kind  is  very  hardy 
and  tenacious  of  life,  and  is  particularly  effective  and  suc- 
cessful planted  among  rhododen- 
drons and  other  similar  shrubs. 

The  tiger  lily,  Z.  tigrinum,  is 
very  showy  and  stays  in  bloom  a 
long  time  during  summer.  There 
is  a  grand  variety  of  this  tiger  lily 
(tigrinum  splendens)  that  has  tall 
stems  and  fiery  scarlet  flowers. 
Lilium  Canadense  is  a  showy 
summer  -  blooming  species,  with 
nodding  yellow  or  orange  flowers 
spotted  with  brown.  There  is  also  a  deep-red  variety  of 
Canadense.  Lilium  pardalinum,  leopard  lily,  is  a  summer- 


TURK'S-CAP  LILY. 

( LILIUM    SUPEHBUM.I 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


186 

blooming  species  bearing  numerous  large  orange-scarlet 
flowers.  It  is  one  of  the  best  and  easiest  grown  of  the 
Pacific-coast  species.  Lilium  Pyre- 
naicum,  yellow-turban  lily,  is  a  fine 
^($K-  1  i  showy  species  with  yellow  flowers 

*  i  *  spotted  with  black.  Most,  if  not  all 
of  these  lilies  are  easy  to  cultivate, 
and  simply  require  good  garden  soil. 


The 


blazing-star, 


BUTTON  SNAKEROOT. 
IUATRIS  SPICATA.) 


feather,  is  a  genus  of  very  showy 
plants  from  the  Western  and  Southern 
States.  They  have  tuberous  roots, 

straight  stems  two  to  five  feet  high,  and  generally  very 

narrow  leaves,  the  upper  part  of  the  stem  being  crowded 

with  flowers  that  form  a  long,  dense  spike  of  some  shade 

of  purple.     L.pycnostachya,  Kansas  gay-feather,  comes  from 

the  prairies  of  the  far  West,  and  grows  five  feet  high,  with 

a  very  dense  spike  of  flowers  ten  to 

twenty  inches  long.     It  flowers  in 

summer  later  than  Liatris  spicata. 
Lychnis    Chalcedonica,    scarlet 

lychnis,    or    Maltese    cross,    comes 

from   Russia,    and    grows    two    to 

three  feet  high.     This  is  one  of  the 

oldest  as  well  as  one  of  the  most 

brilliant    of    hardy   garden    plants. 

It  has  been  neglected  for  much  less 

showy  summer  flowers. 

Lytkrum   Salicaria,  purple  loosestrife,  is  a  beautiful 

plant.     It  grows  about  three  or  four  feet  high  during  July, 


DOUBLE  SCARLET   LYCHNIS. 
(LYCHNIS  CHALCEDONICA,  FL.  PL.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


187 


PURPLE   LOOSESTRIFE. 
(LYTHRUM  SALICARIA.) 


August,  and  September,  with  numerous  square,  stout, 
woody  stems  branching  a  little  at  the  top,  and  terminating 
in  long  spikes  of  rosy  purple  flow- 
ers. L.  Viscaria  splendens,  German 
catchfly,  is  a  dense  tufted  species 
twelve  to  fifteen  inches  high,  with 
brilliant  scarlet  flowers  in  summer. 
Monarda  didyma,  bee  balm,  grows 
about  three  feet  high,  with  erect 
stems  clothed  with  large  egg-shaped 
leaves.  The  flowers  are  in  close 
head-like  whorls  at  the  extremity 
of  the  stem,  and  are  deep  red, 
appearing  in  June  or  July,  and  lasting  a  couple  of  months. 
It  is  sometimes  called  the  Oswego  tea,  and  comes  from 
North  America.  One  of  the  most  showy  and  interesting 
flowers  that  bloom  all  summer  is  the  evening  primrose. 
Many  bloom  for  a  very  long  time,  and  have  unusually 
large  flowers  of  striking  and  attractive  appearance,  and  are 
besides  pleasantly  fragrant.  (Enotlwra  Missourieiisis  is 
perhaps  the  most  showy  of  the  group.  The  plant  pro- 
duces many  prostrate  stems,  branching  freely  about  a  foot 
high.  The  leaves  are  large  and  lance-shaped,  and  the  flow- 
ers are  very  large,  several  inches  across,  and  bright  yellow. 
It  grows  luxuriantly  in  warm,  sunny  aspects  and  light  rich 
soil,  but  in  soil  that  is  not  exactly  favorable  it  soon  dies 
off  and  needs  to  be  replanted  every  year  or  two,  like  an 
annual  or  biennial. 

Opuntia  Rafinesquii,  Western  prickly  pear,  forms  curi- 
ous broad  mats  six  to  ten  inches  high.     It  is  a  hardy  cac- 


188  GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


tus,  with  round,  very  spiny  steins,  and  yellowish  flowers, 
often  with  a  reddish  centre.  It  blooms  in  summer,  and  is 
excellent  for  rockwork.  Among  the  best  garden  flowers  of 
summer  are  the  poppies,  I  mean  the  hardy  herbaceous  pop- 
pies, not  the  annuals,  which  are  also  very  pretty.  The  hardy 
type  of  these  showy  poppies  is  the  Oriental  poppy  ( '  Papa- 
ver  orientate),  of  which  there  exist  several  showy  varie- 
ties, such  as  P.  bracteatum,  etc.  P.  hractcat'iim,  great 
scarlet  poppy,  is  a  splendid  tall-growing  species,  producing 
dense  rounded  masses  of  long  leaves  roughish  to  the  touch 
above  and  below.  The  flower  stems  are  almost  leafless, 
very  rough  and  shaggy,  and  three  or  four  feet  high,  sup- 
porting each  an  enormously  large  bright  orange-scarlet 
flower  marked,  at  the  base  of  petals  and  sepals,  with  a  large 
intense  dark  crimson  spot.  It  is  a  native  of  Siberia. 
Other  kinds  come  from  Greece  and  the  Pyrenees.  Papaver 
nudicaule  var.  croceum,  Iceland  poppy,  is  an  entirely  differ- 
ent plant  from  the  last.  It  is  a 
pretty  d\varf-growing  plant,  with 
bright  saffron-colored  flowei's  grow- 
ing on  stems  one  foot  high.  It  is 
excellent  for  rock-work. 

JBubus  odoratus,  purple  flower- 
ing raspberry,  is  an  old  well-known 
plant  of  the  highest  excellence.  Its 
large  massive  foliage  is  effective, 

PURPLE  FLOWERING  RASPBERRY.    an(l      1*      gTOWS      111      tllC       shade      aild 

iii    the    most    unpropitious   places. 

The  flowers  are  an  inch  or  more  in  diameter,  and  a  deep 
purple. 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


189 


PENTSTEMON  BARBATUS. 

(VAR.    TORREYI.) 


Pentstemon  cobcea  is  an  early  variety  blooming  in  sum- 
mer and  also  Pentstemon  barbatus,  var.  Torreyi.  It  is 
somewhat  rare.  The  foxglove-like 
flowers  are  two  inches  or  more 
long  in  a  spike  of  purple  striped 
with  white.  Petalostemon  decum- 
bens  is  one  of  the  prettiest  pros- 
trate plants  with  stems  a  foot  long, 
on  the  ends  of  which  are  borne 
dense  spikes  of  deep  violet-purple 
flowers.  It  commences  to  bloom 
in  summer  and  lasts  till  frost. 
Platycodon  grandiflorum,  large 
bell-flower,  is  the  same  as  Waldenbergia  and  Campanula 
grandiflora.  It  is  the  largest  of  all  the  bell  flowers. 
The  buds,  before  opening,  become  inflated  like  a  balloon. 
The  flower  is  a  shallow  bell,  two  inches  or  more  across  and 
deep  blue.  It  blooms  all  summer 
and  is  very  attractive.  Salvia 
pratensis,  meadow-sage,  is  twelve 
to  eighteen  inches  high,  comes 
from  Europe,  and  bears  long 
spikes  of  rich  blue  flowers  all 
summer.  Scaliosa  Caucasica  is  a 
handsome  plant  only  a  foot  high. 
It  grows  vigorously  and  bears  free- 
ly beautiful  soft  lilac  flowers,  that, 
when  cut,  last  a  long  time  in  water. 
There  are  several  herbaceous  spireas  that  merit  well  a 
place  in  the  flower-garden.  Spirce-a  Filipendida,  fl.  pi. 


LARGE    BELLFLOWER. 
(PLATYCODON  GRANDIFLORUM. 


190 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


.lEADOW  SWEET. 

'SPIR/tA  ULMARIA.) 


dropwort,  grows  three  feet  high,  has  fern-like  foliage  and 
numerous  double  white  flowers  in  summer.  It  is  an  old 
and  favorite  plant.  Then  there  is  the 
red  flowering  and  fragrant  8.  lobata 
or  venusta,  queen  of  the  prairies,  and 
meadow-sweet,  8.  Ulmaria,  from  Great 
Britain  and  Northern  Europe  and  Si- 
beria, with  fragrant  white  flowers  and 
from  three  to  four  feet  high,  loving 
inoist  places  and  water-courses.  There 
is  a  pretty  speedwell  blooming  long 
in  the  summer-time.  It  is  Veronica 
(tmeihystina,  a  better  kind  than  gen- 
twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high,  and  bearing 

V. 
the 

speedwells,  bearing  a  larger  flower-spike  and  larger  indi- 
vidual flowers  of  a  brilliant  amethystine  blue,  which  con- 
trast finely  with  the  rich  green  foliage. 
It  is  one  of  the  Japanese  acquisitions. 
Yucca  jilamentosa  belongs  to  the  sum- 
mer season,  with  its  tall  spikes  of  bell- 
like  flowers  and  strange  tropical-look- 
ing leaves  suited  for  rockwork.  This 
plant  is  hardly  an  herbaceous  plant,  and 
yet  it  seems  to  belong  here  rather  than 
among  shrubs  on  account  of  the  ap-  GENTIAN  LEAVED  SPEEDWELL. 
pearance  of  the  great  spikes  of  flowers.  (VERONICA  GENT.ANOIDES.) 

We  come  now  to  the  fall-blooming,  hardy,  herbaceous 
plants,    which    give    us    so    much    enjoyment    during   the 


showy  amethyst-blue    flowers   in   pyramidal   clusters. 
longifolut)  var.  subsessilis,    is,    however,    the   best   of 


GARDEN  FLOWERS.  191 


decadence  of  the  plant-life  of  tlie  year.  Their  colors 
supplement  and  perfect,  if  they  do  not  enliven,  the  charm- 
ing tones  of  "  the  melancholy  days,"  and  as  long  as  they 
last  we  seem  to  have  about  us  still  a  remnant  of  the  special 
loveliness  of  summer.  The  autumn  monk's-hood,  Aconitum 
autumiiale,  is  one  of  the  best,  with  dark-blue  flowers  on 
stems  three  feet  high,  lasting  a  long  time  in  perfection.  It 
associates  itself  well  with  Anemone  Japonica,  and  bears 
bold  racemes  of  dark-blue  flowers,  is  very  robust,  and  has 
large,  deeply  cut  leaves,  and  is  a  native  of  China  and  Japan. 
The  best-known  and  appreciated,  perhaps,  of  autumn 
flowers  are  the  asters,  starworts,  or  Michaelmas  daisies. 
In  this  country  we  know  the  New  England  aster  the  best, 
A.  JVovce-Angliw.  The  large  violet-purple  flowers  appear 
in  great  profusion  along  our  roadsides.  Every  park  and 
flower  border  should  have  them.  They  grow  four  or  five 
feet  high.  A.  longifolius,  var.  formosus,  is  more  showy  and 
grows  in  the  form  of  pyramidal  bushes  completely  clothed 
with  bright  rose-colored  flowers  blooming  all  the  fall  until 
frost.  A.  Shortii  is  a  tall-growing  species  and  bears  in 
fall  large  bright-blue  flower-heads.  Chrysanthemums  gen- 
erally bloom  late,  on  the  edge  of  winter,  but  there  are 
seme  kinds  that  come  earlier  in  autumn.  Among  these  are 

o 

lacustre  and  maximum,  much  alike,  with  large  flowers  three 
or  four  inches  across.  The  first  grows  four  to  five  feet 
high  and  likes  moist  soil,  while  maximum  is  of  a  dwarf 
habit,  only  one  foot  high. 

There  are  few  more  showy  and  satisfactory  plants  dur- 
ing summer  and  early  fall  than  Coreopsis  lanceolata  often 
mistaken  for  grandiflora.  Its  large  lemon-yellow  flowers 


J92 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


bloom  very  freely  on  long  stems  two  to  three  feet  high. 
Gentiana  Andi-ewsii,  closed  gentian,  is  a  pretty,  late- 
flowering  species  with  fine  blue  flowers  an  inch  long.  It 
likes  a  good  garden  soil,  especially  if  it  be  sandy  and 
moist.  Some  of  the  sunflowers  bloom  late  in  fall,  notably 
Helia/nthus  Maximiliani  which  grows  six  to  eight  feet 
high.  It  is  very  free-flowering  and  large-growing,  and 
should  have  plenty  of  room.  It  comes  from  Texas.  The 
finest  sunflower  is  perhaps  H.  orgyalis,  graceful  sunflower, 
also  hailing  from  Texas.  It  grows  six  to  ten  feet  high,  has, 
great  flowers  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  has 
narrow  leaves  that  give  it  a  very  graceful  habit.  The 
sunflower  is  splendid  in  inflorescence,  but  coarse  in  general 
effect,  and  should  therefore  be  planted  somewhat  in  the 
background  or  in  the  midst  of  large  shrubbery.  Stand- 
ing alone  it  suggests  a  coarse,  greedy  plant  that  seems 
inclined  to  seize  upon  and  exhaust  all  the  ground  around 
it  without  regard  to  the  rights  oi 
other  plants. 

Hemerocallis  Thunbergii  is  a 
fine  late  -  blooming  day-lily  that 
bears  yellow  sweet-scented  flowers 
on  stems  four  feet  high.  One  of 
the  most  splendid  of  fall  blooming 
herbaceous  plants  is  the  rose-mallow. 
The  common  marsh  rose-mallow 
(Hibiscus  Mosclieutos),  growing 
three  to  five  feet  high,  with  light 
rose-colored  flowers  in  August  larger  than  hollyhocks, 
and  continuing  long  in  bloom,  is  the  best  known.  Hi- 


RED-HOT  POKER. 

(TRITOMA  UVARIA.) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


193 


biscus  Californicus  is,  however,  the  largest,  growing  five 
feet  high,  and  bearing  white  flowers  four  to  six  inches 
-across,  with  purple  centres.  Among  the  best  fall  plants, 
especially  when  mixed  with  grasses,  such  as  the  Aruiido, 
•etc.,  are  Kniphofias  or  Tritomas,  the  red-hot  poker  plant. 
Like  the  Arundo,  it  is  better,  although  it  sometimes 
winters  well,  to  take  it  up  and  winter  it  in  a  cellar. 
It  blooms  splendidly 
in  autumn  until  frost. 
There  is  no  more 
strange  and  intensely 
colored  flower  than  that 
borne  by  this  plant.  It 
is  like  flame  partially 
.at  white  heat.  Trito- 
ma  divides,  often  called 
Uvaria,  is  a  well- 
known  kind  that  grows 
three  or  four  feet  high. 
There  is  a  variety, 
gmndiflom,  that  grows 
five  feet  high,  and  there 
is  also  a  smaller  species,  corallina,  that  grows  only  eighteen 
inches  to  two  feet,  and  bears  bright  coral-red  flowers. 

The  Lathyrus  latifolius,  everlasting  pea,  is  an  unjustly 
neglected  plant,  looking  well  trailed  over  bushes  or  on  the 
ground,  where  its  pretty  rose-colored  flowers  last  nearly  all 
summer.  There  is  also  a  pure  white  variety.  Most  of  the 
everlasting  peas  have  large  roots,  and  if  left  undisturbed 

improve  with  age.     Lobelia  cardinalis,  the  cardinal  flower 
13 


CARDINAL  FLOWER. 
(LOBELIA  CARDINALIS.) 


1 94  GA  RDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


of  New  England  woods  and  waters,  displays  one  of  the 
brightest  scarlets  among  herbaceous  plants.  It  grows  three 
to  four  feet  high,  and  is  easily  cultivated.  Mafoa  Alcea, 
garden  mallow,  is  a  rosy-purple  flowering  plant  that  blooms 
in  late  summer.  It  grows  two  to  three  feet  high,  and  has 
flowers  two  inches  across. 

M.  moscJiata  alia  is  a  similar  species,  with  pure  white 
flowers.  CEnotlwra  speciosa,  a  late-blooming,  evening  prim- 
rose, with  large,  fragrant  flowers,  the  white  petals  of  which 
become  rosy  purple  when  fading.  The  garden  phloxes,  de- 
rived from  Phlox  paniculata,  P.  maculata,  etc.,  have  been 
much  hybridized  and  crossed.  The  height  varies  from  one 
to  four  feet,  the  foliage  from  narrow  and  shining  to  broad 
and  dull.  The  flowers  grow  in  a  broad,  pyramidal  head, 
often  six  inches  across,  and  continue  in  bloom  in  late  summer 
and  autumn  for  two  or  three  months.  There  are  colors, 
shades,  and  markings  innumerable.  Among  the  self-colored 
— i.  e.,  all  of  one  color,  wTe  find  pure  white,  cream,  salmon, 
rose,  lilac,  carmine,  purple,  violet, 
and  crimson.  In  some  varieties  two 
colors  combine,  either  beautifully 
shaded,  or  with  a  distinct  centre  of 
one  color  and  the  rest  of  the  flower 
of  another.  There  are  also  beau- 
tifully striped  varieties.  This  is 
truly  a  magnificent  group  of  flower- 
LEADWORT  ™&  plants,  and  should  be  planted 

(PLUMBAGO  LARPENT/E.)  among  deciduous  shrubs  or  among 

other  large  herbaceous  plants  where  there  will  be  other  foli- 
age to  support  and  mask  the  lower  portion  of  the  phloxes. 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


195 


STONE  CROP. 

(8EDUM    ACRE.) 


Plumbago  Larpentce  is  a  beautiful  blue-flowering  plant  of 
a  dense  spreading  habit,  six  to  ten  inches  in  height.  The 
flowers  are  in  terminal  clusters, 
fine  bright  blue  at  first,  but 
changing  afterwards  to  deep  vio- 
let. They  appear  in  August,  Sep- 
tember, and  October.  Pyretlirum 
uliginosum,  giant  daisy,  is  a 
fine,  effective,  fall-blooming  plant, 
growing  five  feet  high,  and  bear- 
ing large  white  flowers  with  yel- 
low centres.  Rudbeckia  maxima, 
large  cone-flower,  is  also  a  striking  plant  four  to  six  feet 
high,  with  large  glaucous  leaves  and  bright  yellow  flowers 
with  brown  centres.  The  Sedums,  live-for-evers,  are  excel- 
lent plants  for  poor,  shallow  soil,  and  especially  for  rock- 
work.  Sedum  acre,  the  common  stone-crop,  is  one  of  the 
best,  as  it  is  low-spreading  and  moss-like.  It  is  particularly 
good  for  carpeting,  and  displays  num- 
erous yellow  flowers  in  summer. 

There  are  two  excellent  Japanese 
stone-crops  or  Sedums  that  grow  in 
large  tufts,  with  thick  glaucous  leaves 
and  rosy-purple  flowers  in  clusters. 
They  bloom  in  late  fall.  The  two 
species  are  Sieboldii,  special  He  or  Fa- 
baria,  of  which  the  last  is  the  larger 
and  perhaps  more  showy.  Senecio  Japonica,  a  little-known 
groundsel,  belongs  to  the  same  family  as  the  ragweed,  one 
of  the  most  extensive  in  point  of  species  to  be  found  among 


SEDUM  SPECTABILE. 


1JM) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


plants,  having,  it  is  said,  nearly  a  thousand  different  kinds 

known  to  botanists. 

Senecio  Japonica  is  one  of  the  handsomest  members 
of  the  family.  It  is  of  striking 
habit,  grows  five  feet  high,  with 
leaves  nearly  a  foot  across,  divided 
into  nearly  a  dozen  divisions.  The 
flower-heads  are  about  three  inches 
across  with  the  narrow  outer  florets 
of  a  rich  orange  color.  It  is  a  moist- 
ure-loving plant,  and  should  be 
grown  in  rich,  moderately  stiff,  loam. 
The  SilpJiiums  are  large-growing 
coarse  plants,  with  sunflower-like 
blossoms,  in  summer  requiring  places 
in  the  background  with  plenty  of 
room.  8.  laciniatum  is  the  largest 
and  most  showy  of  the  family.  Dr. 
Asa  Gray  writes  of  this  plant :  "  On 
the  wide,  open  prairies  the  leaves 
are  said  to  present  their  edges  uni- 
formly north  and  south,  whence  it 
is  called  the  compass-plant."  The 
Solidagos,  golden-rods,  present  one 
of  the  most  characteristic  and  fa- 
miliar flowers  of  the  United  States, 
and  should  be  planted  in  clumps  like 
the  SilpJiiums  where  their  graceful 

habit  and  masses  of  yellow  flowers  will  display  their  beauty 

effectively.     In  the  eyes  of  most  they  are  weeds,  but  in  cer- 


COMPASS  PLANT. 

(SILPHIUM    LACINIATUM.) 


GARDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


197 


GOLDEN-ROD. 

(SOLIDAGO    CANADENSIS.) 


tain  parts  of  the  flower  garden  few  more  striking  plants  can  be 
set  out  for  autumnal  effect.  The  species  rigida,  Shortii,  and 
Canadensis  are  among  the  best,  the 
last  growing  fully  five  feet  higher. 

Stokesia  cyanea,  from  the  South- 
ern States,  is  one  of  the  rarest  and 
handsomest  of  native  plants.  The 
flower-heads,  three  or  four  inches 
across  on  strong  plants,  are  a  fine  sky- 
blue,  somewhat  like  a  large  China 
aster.  It  blooms  till  frost.  Ver- 
tionia  Noveboi'ocensis,  New  York 
iron-weed,  grows  two  to  six  feet  high,  with  dark-purple  clus- 
ters of  flowers  at  the  end  of  straight  stems.  It  should  also 
be  given  plenty  of  room  and  kept  rather  in  the  background. 
There  are  of  course  plants  suited  for  carpeting  portions 
of  the  flower  garden  and  rock  garden  that  are  not  used  for 
their  flowers,  which  are  generally 
insignificant.  Such  are  most  of 
the  Sempervivums,  or  house-leeks. 
There  is  8.  araclmoideum,  cobweb 
house-leek,  an  alpine  plant,  with  its 
small  rosettes  covered  with  cob- 
webby hairs  ;  tectorum,  the  common 
house-leek,  and,  one  of  the  finest  and 
largest  of  all,  S.  calcareum.  The  last 
named  has  regular  bluish  leaves 
tipped  each  with  a  purple  spine. 
Before  closing  this  brief  list  of  hardy  herbaceous  peren- 
nials I  must  refer  to  the  Christmas  roses,  Helleboms  niger, 


NEW  YORK  IRON-WEED. 
(VERNONIA   NOVEBORACEN8I8. ) 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


CHRISTMAS  ROSE. 
(HELLEBORUS  NIGER.) 


which  I  cannot  exactly  term  autumn  flowers.  They  bloom 
so  late  that,  by  using  a  frame  over  them  and  thus  securing 
a  little  protection,  their  beautiful  white  flowers  may  be  had 
at  Christmas.  They  should  be  planted  in  a  shady  position 

•  and  moist  soil,  as  they  are  impatient 

of  dry  weather.  H.  niger  altifolius 
is  one  of  the  best  varieties,  with 
pinkish  white  flowers  and  the  char- 
acteristic dark-green  foliage. 

The  magnificent  Japanese  and 
I  Chinese  chrysanthemums  should  be 
'given  liberal  space,  but  my  excuse 
for  not  considering  them  is  their 
lack  of  hardiness.  They  may  live 
and  thrive  with  some  protection,  but  there  is  no  certainty. 
The  proper  way  to  grow  them  is  to  cultivate  strong  plants 
in  pots  and  set  them  out  in  early  fall,  just  before  they 


GARDEN  FLOWERS. 


199 


AUTUMN  CROCUS. 


bloom,    with    the    expectation    of   lifting   them  when  the 
flowers  have  gone. 

Colchicum  autumnale,  common  meadow-saffron,  is 
known  as  the  autumn  crocus,  and  is  one  of  the  latest 
flowers  to  appear  in  our  beds  and  borders 
out-of-doors.  The  flowers  appear  alone 
without  leaves,  and  consist  of  six  lance- 
shaped  somewhat  spreading  petals,  rosy 
purple  in  color,  and  supported  only  an  inch 
or  two  above  ground.  The  leaves  begin  to 
grow  after  the  flowers  cease,  and  reach  (COLCHICUM  AUTUMNALE-) 
their  fullest  development  the  following  spring  and  early 
summer.  They  are  lance-shaped,  dark  olive-green,  and 
about  nine  to  twelve  inches  long. 

The  dahlias  constitute 
a  well-known  class  of  late 
flowering-plants,  and  pre- 
sent a  rich  variety  of  color 
at  a  season  when  flowers 
are  scarce.  Their  forms, 
however,  are  stiff  and  ar- 
tificial looking,  and  the 
more  they  are  "perfected" 
by  cultivation  the  stiffer 
they  seem  to  become. 

These  objections,  how- 
ever, do  not  apply  to 
the  single  dahlias,  that 
have  been  deservedly  increasing  in  reputation  of  late.  Their 
colors  are  quite  varied  and  their  single  petals  graceful. 


SINGLE  DAHLIAS. 


200  GARDEN  FL  O  WERS. 


Notwithstanding  the  great  beauty  of  many  double  flowers* 
there  is  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  the  more  humble 
single-blooming  kinds. 

The  employment  of  herbaceous  plants  in  the  woods  or 
in  grass  is  a  charming  method  of  displaying  their  most 
characteristic  beauties  ;  and  for  natural  effects  in  connection 
with  rock  work  very  many  varieties  are  invaluable.  Within 
the  limits  of  the  garden,  however,  and  in  the  soil  that  can  be 
there  readily  prepared,  hardy  herbaceous  plants  will  thrive 
and  grow  as  nowhere  else.  It  may  be  somewhat  less  natural, 
and  perhaps  less  artistic,  but  it  is  human,  and  it  suits  the 
flowers.  I  believe  that  the  suggestion  of  any  diagram 
arrangement  of  herbaceous  plants  will  be  hardly  profitable. 
One  would  as  easily  suggest  an  arrangement  for  a  bouquet 
of  flowers.  It  should  be  irregular,  and  so  disposed  as  to 
prevent  one  plant  from  obscuring  the  beauties  of  the  others. 
The  large  ones  should  come,  as  a  rule,  somewhere  at  the  back,, 
and  the  next  size  nearer  the  front,  and  so  on  to  the  smallest. 
It  is  simple  enough.  A  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the 
plants  and  good  natural  taste  will  do  the  work  well  if  the 
above  general  rule  is  followed.  These  herbaceous  plants 
may  be  planted  effectively  on  the  lawn  in  connection  or  in 
front  of  the  shrubberies.  First  trees,  then  shrubs,  then 
herbaceous  plants  or  wild  flowers,  and  finally  grass.  This 
is  the  natural  arrangement  of  such  lawn  plantations. 


CHAPTER  X. 

GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN. 


URINGr  early  boyhood,  I  paid  long 
visits  at  the  home  of  a  dear  old 
grandmother,  in  one  of  the  most 
thoroughly  crystallized  towns  of 
New  England.  Grandmother  was 
a  Quaker  of  the  old  school,  and 
a  pillar  of  the  meeting,  conse- 
quently everything  about  her  was 

of  the  approved  old-time  sort.  The  garden,  certainly,  was 
no  exception  to  the  rule.  I  think  I  see  now,  the  sober, 
dignified  Quaker  ladies,  attired  in  suitable  dove-color,  pacing 
the  garden  walks  or  daintily  plucking  flowers.  Surely  finer 
flowers  never  grew  than  were  reared  in  that  garden,  for  the 
maintenance  it  received  was  exquisite.  What  sunny  hours 
we  children  spent  in  it.  And  it  was  truly  a  charming  spot, 
though  something  must  be  allowed  for  the  glamour  of 
boyish  freshness  and  spirits.  I  feel,  indeed,  after  seeing 
all  the  modern  inventions,  that  I  could  cheerfully  forego 


202  GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN. 


the  most  blazing  effects  that  we  behold  nowadays  on 
expensive  lawns,  for  the  privilege  of  enjoying  once  more 
the  old  garden  behind  grandmother's  house.  I  wish  you 
could  see  the  quaint  old  place  us  I  recall  it  after  the  lapse 
of  many  years.  It  was,  I  confess,  a  somewhat  formal  and 
prim  affair;  but  there  was  nothing  commonplace  or  vulgar 
about  it,  as  in  the  baser  sort  of  what  is  now  called  ribbon 
gardening.  On  the  contrary,  there  was  a  distinct  flavor  of 
individuality  in  the  character  of  its  appearance.  The  de- 
signer, being  either  a  practical  housewife,  or  inspired  by 
one,  had  thought  of  many  things  besides  mere  ornament, 
and  even  the  ornament  had  a  distinct  difference,  which  gave 
this  garden  a  special  suggestiveness  of  its  own. 

The  paths  were  laid  out  with  entire  regularity,  and 
marked  with  long  rows  or  borders  of  dwarf  box ;  but  there 
the  regularity  and  sameness  ceased,  unless  we  count  as  regu- 
lar the  scrupulously  kept  gravel  of  the  walks,  bedded  with 
white  pebbles.  Such  a  garden  naturally  had  its  grape-vine, 
trained  on  some  suitable  supports,  which,  in  this  case,  hap- 
pened to  be  the  stable  wall.  The  next-door  neighbor,  I 
remember,  had  an  arbor  for  his  grape-vines,  that  began,  as 
it  seemed,  nowhere  in  particular,  and  ended  twenty  feet  off 
with  the  most  delightful  neglect  of  any  why  or  wherefore, 
except  that  it  existed  for  the  grape-vine;  that  was  evi- 
dently enough  for  Deacon  Jones.  Nowadays  such  an 
arbor  must  have  done  duty  alike  as  a  place  for  seats,  for 
a  promenade,  and  also  for  the  display  of  architectural 
ornament  in  the  Queen  Anne  style.  Not  that  such  a  triple 
performance  of  duty  is  not  proper  enough,  but  only  it  was 
not  the  way  of  gardens  of  those  earlier  days. 


GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN. 


203 


GARDEN   PINK. 

'DIANTHUS    PLUMARIUS.) 


For  the  economies  of  the  house,  there  were  all  sorts 
of  fragrant  herbs,  such  as  thyme,  sweet-marjory,  sage,  mint, 
and  half  a  dozen  other  sweet-smelling 
and  savory  plants,  that  were  on  this 
account,  however,  none  the  less  attrac- 
tive as  ornaments  of  the  garden.  They 
were  not  only  delightful  in  themselves, 
but  delightful  because  they  reminded 
us  of  grandmother's  wonderful  store- 
closet,  from  which  issued  so  many  good 
things. 

But  grandmother's  garden  was, 
before  all  things,  a  productive  flower 
garden.  Unlike  modern  gardens,  created  for  external 
show  alone,  it  was  a  real  storehouse  of  color  and  odor, 
out  of  which  one  could,  day  after  day,  gather  rich  treasures, 
and  yet  leave  its  beauty  apparently  un dimmed.  Everybody 
about  the  house,  boys  included,  was 
welcome  to  pluck  a  flower  occasion- 
ally without  let  or  hindrance.  The 
flowers,  indeed,  seemed  actually  to 
enjoy  being  plucked.  They  were  not, 
of  course,  specially  rare,  and  yet  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  it  might  be  difficult 
to  find  some  of  them  nowadays.  Their 
simple  charms  have,  in  fact,  been  al- 
most entirely  obscured  by  the  glitter- 
ing novelties  of  the  modern  horticul- 
tural world.  For  instance,  there  were  those  rich  old  damask 
roses.  They  are  seldom  if  ever  seen  now ;  and  yet  what 


SWEET-WILLIAM. 
(DIANTHUS  BARBATUS.^ 


204 


GRANDMOTHERS  GARDEN. 


masses  of  them  there  were  in  grandmother's  garden,  and 
how  well  I  remember  their  rich  color,  and  the  delightful  odor 
they  exhaled  when  the  dew  was  resting  on 
their  petals.  Where  shall  we  find  now 
such  beds  of  s\veet-scented  pinks, — not  car- 
nations, but  real  hardy  pinks, — and  such 
sweet-williams?  In  few  places;  for  they 
are  out  of  fashion  now.  Tall  clusters  of 
phloxes  stood  here  and  there.  Blue  lark- 
spurs, tall,  quaint,  and  lovely,  nodded 
above  carpets  of  portulaca  vine,  studded 
with  scarlet  flowers. 
Broad  patches  of 
the  gorgeous  herb- 
aceous peony  were 
striking  in  effect, 
close  by  the  strag- 
gling foliage  and  flowers 
of  the  sweet-pea.  Great 
hollyhocks  were  there, 
too,  with  richly  colored 
single  petals,  the  pure 
outlines  and  decorative 
appearance  of  which  fail  not  to 
charm  the  eye  even  now,  amid  the 
multitudinous  resources  of  the  mod- 
ern gardener. 

Snowdrops,  crocuses,  and  other 
bulbs  used  to  spring  up  as  if  by  magic,  year  after  year,  in 
secluded   spots   of   grandmother's   garden.      Evidently  no 


FALL  LARKSPUR. 
(DELPHINIUM  ELATUM.) 


SINGLE  HOLLYHOCKS. 


GRANDMOTHERS  GARDEN.  205 


definite  arrangement  had  been  applied  to  any  of  these 
plants,  but  somehow  they  were  seen  to  be  greatly  to  the 
advantage  of  the  general  effect.  All  stood  together,  just  as 
they  happened  to  come,  behind  the  borders  of  box,  in  the 
rich,  weedless  brown  earth.  Ho\v  fresh  that  brown  earth 
smelled  as  it  was  dug  up  in  early  spring !  Of  other 
climbers  than  the  grape-vine  there  were  few.  Wistarias, 
clematises,  and  the  long  list  of  similar  plants  of  the  present 
day  were  little  used  then.  Filling  their  place  in  their  own 
attractive  way,  were  delicate  morning-glories  and  graceful 
cypress  vines,  trained  with  some  formality  and  with  almost 
reverential  care. 

These  reminiscences  may  and  should  have  a  distinct 
purpose  and  effect  on  present  landscape  gardening  undertak- 
ings. Let  our  circumstances  and  intentions  be  what  they 
may,  we  can  certainly  build  up  for  ourselves  once  more 
some  genuine  development  of  these  quaint  old  garden 
recollections.  We  can,  I  think,  do  it  all  the  better  if  we  are 
poor  and  have  only  a  half  acre  or  a  scant  25  x  100-foot  lot. 

In  that  case  we  should  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Sunnyside 
(Irvington,  N.  Y.),  and  see  how  Washington  Irving  did,  by 
fine  instinct  alone,  for  he  was  hardly  a  landscape  gardener, 
what  few  landscape  gardeners  would  have  the  simple  self- 
control  to  attempt.  A  plain  rambling  house  set  on  the 
banks  of  the  Hudson  with  one  walk  winding  from  the  pic- 
turesque lane  to  the  porch  and  door-step,  half  a  dozen  or 
more  elms  and  maples,  a  few  simple  flowers,  blue  and  white, 
along  the  base  of  the  dwelling,  and  you  have  literally  all 
there  is  of  the  lawn.  Not  a  coleus  bed,  not  a  shrub,  noth- 
ing but  exquisitely  kept  turf  and  a  few  stately  old  trees. 


206 


GRANDMOTHER'S   GARDEN. 


The  repose,  the  dignity,  the  quaint  simplicity,  and  uncon- 
scious self-restraint  of  Sunnyside  is  my  ideal  of  what  a 
small  place  should  be  with  a  grandmother's  garden 

behind  it. 

But  the  reader  will  say, 
perhaps,  I  have  my  acres  of 
land  with  drives,  rhododen- 
d  ron  groups,  shrubberies,  green 
houses,  beds  of  cannas  and  co- 
leuses,  and  yet  why  cannot  I 
too  have  my  grandmother's 
garden  ?  You  can  have  it, 
without  doubt,  but  since  it 
will  be  necessarily  out  of  keep- 
ing with  the  general  scope  of 
your  place,  you  will  have  to 
isolate  it  and  shut  it  from  view 
with  large  trees  and  shrubs, 
so  that  it  will  be  a  surprise 
when  discovered,  and  not 
count  in  the  general  effect  of 
the  lawn. 

In  order  to  explain  what  I  mean,  I  have  introduced  a 
plan  of  a  place  near  Orange,  N.  J.,  where  just  this  arrange- 
ment for  a  grandmother's  garden  was  undertaken.  It  is 
not,  of  course,  exactly  what  we  remember  our  grandmoth- 
er's garden  to  have  been,  oilier  times,  other  manners, — -but 
it  is  built  on  the  same  plan,  amplified  and  perfected  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  richness  of  our  modern  list  of  peren- 
nial garden  plants.  It  is  less  quaint,  I  acknowledge,  less 


COREOPSIS     LANCOLATA. 


207  PRIVATE  PLACE  AT  ORANGE,  N.  J.,  AS  LAID  OUT   BY  VAUX  &  CO. 


old-timy,  but  it  has 
as  much  quaintness  as 
the  old  rooms  with 
the  grandmother's  fur- 
niture seen  in  modern 
houses,  and  is  quite  as 
much  in  keeping. 

Let  us  look  at  the 
plan.  It  represents  a 
place  of  three  acres. 
There  is  a  broad  drive 
that  sweeps  up  to  the 
front  of  the  house  and 
then  turns  and  passes 
out  to  the  barn.  All 
along  the  sides  of  the 


CANADA  COLUMBINE. 

UQUILEOIA  CANADENSIS.  ) 


GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN. 


209 


ERIANTHUS  RAVENN/E. 


place  are  planted  continuous  borders  of  mixed  trees  and 

shrubs  intended  to  secure  a  sense  of  seclusion,  while  in 
front  are  left  two  openings  to  give 
a  view  of  passers-by  and  a  glimpse 
of  outside  life  and  companionship. 

On  the  left  of  the  house  a  walk 
winds  from  the  front  door  to  a  fine 
old  shade  tree  with  a  seat  around 
it,  and  so  along  the  outside  border 
of  shrubbery  to  a  summer-house 
in  the  rear.  At  the  back  of  the 
house  the  ground  originally  sloped 

up  rapidly  so  that  it  became  necessary  to  form  a  terrace  in 

order  to  manage  the  drainage  successfully. 

Between  this  terrace  and  the  house,  shut  in  by  shrub- 
bery on  both  sides,  was  arranged  a  mat  of  carpet  bedding 

carefully  designed  with  Alternantheras,  Echeverias,  Pyreih- 

rumSy   and   Gnaphaliums,  so   as  to 

secure    an   artistic    arrangement    of 

vivid  green,  yellow,  red,  and  white. 

The  spot  is  isolated,  and  part,  as  it 

were,    of    the    architecture    of   the 

house.      In    such    places    only,    on 

country    places,     do    we    consider 

planting   of   this   kind    admissible. 

In  any  other  spot,  away  from  the 

house,    such    designs    are    artificial 

and  out  of  key. 

Passing  up  two  flights  of  stone  steps  that  ascend  to  the 

terrace  with  their  intervening  terrace  walk,  we  come  to  the 


FESTUCA  GLAUCA. 


210  GRANDMOTHERS  GARDEN. 


terrace  gardeii,  or  to  what  comes  as  near  to  the  grand- 
mother's garden  as  we  ought  to  expect  to  get  on  such  a  place. 
It  consists  of  a  plat  of  green  turf  with  the  corners  cut 
to  an  octagonal  line,  and  then  a  border  of  eight  feet  for  the 
regular  hardy  garden  flowering  plants,  lined  on  the  farther 
side  by  clipped  walls  of  California  privet. 

On   either  corner  of  the  grass  plat  are  tall    urns  for 
flowers,  and  still  farther   in  are  tall   clusters  of  grasses, 
making  four  keypoints  of  effect.     One  of  these  is  made  of 
the     dazzling    white     variegated 
bamboo  (Arundo  Donax   varie- 
gata),  sometimes    called    ribbon 
grass,    mingled    with    a    blazing 
spike    or    two    of   the   red  -  hot 
poker  plant  or  KnipJiofia  alceoides 
(Tritoma    Uvaria   grandiflora  ) . 
These    plants    are    not   entirely 
hardy,  and  need  protection  in  a 
STIPA  PENNATA.  cellar   during   winter.      Another 

of  these  groups  is  made  up  of  a  tender  but  splendid- 
looking  grass,  Gynerium  argenteum,  pampas  grass,  with 
graceful  foliage  and  long  silvery  plumes.  The  third 
clump  consists  of  the  hardy  Erianthus  Ravennce,  resembling 
pampas  grass,  and  growing  ten  or  twelve  feet  high.  Eulalia 
Japonica,  variegata  and  zebrina  constitute  the  fourth  and 
best  clump.  They  are  entirely  hardy  and  very  ornamental 
with  their  leaves  striped  and  banded  with  white,  and  their 
stalks  four  to  six  feet  high,  bearing  curly-feathered  plumes. 
JFestuca  glauca  and  Stipa  pennata  have  also  their  places 
as  attractive  grasses. 


GRANDMOTHERS  GARDEN. 


211 


And  now  we  may  in- 
dicate the  special  points 
of   resemblance  in  this 
design    to    the    grand- 
mother's garden.    They 
are  to  be  found  princi- 
pally in   the  border  of 
plants    eight  feet    wide 
that  skirts  the  walk  and 
grass  plat.     Each  angle 
of  this  grass  plat  is  cut 
off,  making  a  large  eight- 
sided  figure  with   four 
long  and  four  short  sides.  A  strip 
of  turf  two  feet  wide  is  first  left, 
and  then  comes  the  mixed  skirt- 
ing  border   of    hardy    perennial 
plants,  relieved   against  the  dark 
green     clipped     wall     of   privet. 
Here,    as   in    the    grandmother's 
garden,  there  is  plenty  of  color 
and  odor  scattered  about  in  some- 
what   promiscuous   fashion,    and 
ready  to  the  hand  for  plucking  or 
not,    as   the  passing   mood    may 
determine. 

In  a  general  way,  the  large- 
growing  plants  are  placed  at  the 
back,  beyond  a  row  of  lower 
habit,  and  next  the  path  we 


HAREBELL. 

(CAMPANULA  TENO 


212 


GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN. 


find  the  smaller  specimens.  Taken  as  a  whole,  however, 
the  appearance  of  the  plants,  one  to  two  feet  apart,  would 
be  called  entirely  irregular,  and  instead  of  bare  spaded  earth, 
generally  considered  necessary  in  such  places,  the  entire  sur- 
face beneath  the  plants  is 
covered  with  varieties  of 
hardy  creepers,  such  as 
moneywort,  periwinkle, 
sedum,  sandwort,  moun- 
tain everlasting,  arabis, 
or  rock  cress,  not  for- 
getting the  pretty 
creeping  forget-me-not, 
and  the  turfing  daisy, 
with  its  lovely  little 
flowers. 

All  the  plants  in  this 
border  are  entirely  hardy,  and  will  last  for  many  years 
without  being  renewed.  Any  one  may  enjoy  here  abundant 
color  and  odor  of  the  most  charming  kind,  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  First,  in  early  spring,  peep  out  flowers 
of  the  lovely  blue  hepaticas,  of  the  trailing  arbutus,  the 
dainty  New  England  mayflower,  and  certain  of  the  anemo- 
nes or  wind-flowers.  The  bloodroot,  ( Sanguinaria  Cana- 
densis)  too,  very  dwarf,  is  always  eagerly  looked  for  in 
early  spring,  on  account  of  the  delicate  charm  of  its  pure 
white  buds  tenderly  enfolded  with  leaves  ;  later  on,  a  clump 
of  its  opened  flowers  are  very  showy. 

Then  in  May  come  still  more,  and,  if  possible,  lovelier 
flowers,  many  of  which  last  on  far  into  summer.     Such  are 


LIVER  LEAF. 
(HEPATICA  TRILOBA.) 


GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN. 


213 


larkspurs,  garden  pinks,  the  exquisite  stemless  gentian 
(Gentiana  acaulisj,  candy  tuft  ( ' Iberis),  the  asphodels,  fa- 
vorites of  the  ancients ;  several  beautiful  species  of  violets, 
and  charming  species  of  anemone,  still  blooming  on  into  sum- 
mer. Strictly  summer-blooming  kinds  of  herbaceous  plants 
there  are,  of  course.  Here,  in  summer,  are  bright  yellow 


JAPAN  WIND-FLOWER. 
(ANEMONE  JAPONICA-HONORINE  JOUBERT.) 


Achillas,  the  quaint  and  exquisite  blue  and  yellow  Aquile- 
gias,  or  hardy  columbines,  with  strangely  formed  petals,  the 
dainty  harebells,  showy  Coreopsises,  day  lilies,  certain  lovely 
species  of  gentian,  the  wonderful  scarlet  cardinal-flower, 
brilliant  red  poppies,  rich  blue  and  scarlet  foxglove  like 
Pentetemons,  Veronicas,  white  Astilbe  Japonica,  the 
garden  phloxes,  JJidtris  or  blazing  star,  and  the  purple 
foxglove. 


214 


GRANDMOTHER'S  GARDEN. 


BLUE  VIOLET. 


Autumn  flowers  are  not  forgotten.  Masses  of  golden- 
rod  (Kolidatjo),  and  orange-colored  milkweed  (AsclepiasJ, 
and  purple  asters  are  scattered  through- 
out the  border;  the  blue 
Aconitum  autumnale,  or  au- 
tumn monk's-hood,  the  curi- 
ous chelone,  or  turtle's  head, 
and  the  dwarfer  kinds  of 
sunflowers. 

Last,  but  not  least,  just 
before  winter  sets  in,  we 
dwell  with  delight  on  the 
brilliant  yellow  and  purple  flowers  of  the  chrys- 
anthemums and  Christmas  roses.  Your  atten- 
tion has  been  directed  in  this  description  to  only 
a  few  of  the  plants  in  this  border  of  mixed 
hardy  flowers.  More  than  a  hundred  and  fifty 
varieties  are  used. 

Before    leaving    the    subject,    it   seems 
worth   while    to    dwell 
for   a   moment    on    the 
Japan  irises,  planted  in 
distinct  lines  within 
three  formal  recesses 
of      the     California 
privet,  arranged  for 

PURPLE  FOXGLOVE.  ^^      "COptlci!. 

They  appear  in  the  WHITE  VIOLET- 

spring,  and  present,  with  their  curious  forms  and  hues— as 
strange  and  beautiful  in  their  way  as  any  orchid— one  of  the 


GRANDMOTHERS  GARDEN. 


215 


most  unique  and  charming  effects  in  the  entire  garden.    The 

broad,  straight  paths  that  run  past  all  these  flowers,  and 

the  grass  plat  and  croquet  ground 

make    a    worthy    frame   for   our 

border,  and    everywhere    the  eye 

meets,  at  almost  any  season  of  the 

year,  objects  of  interest. 

This  place  has,  therefore,  an 
attraction  that  is  related  some- 
what to  the  charm  grandmother's 

ORIENTAL    POPPY. 

garden  possessed  tor  us  in  early  (PAPAVER  BRACTEATUM.  > 

days.  There  is,  first,  the  neatness  and  perfect  keeping 
that  suits  the  level  space  adjoining  a  terrace  and  the 
architectural  lines  of  a  house,  and  then  there  is  all  the 
profusion,  and  far  more  than  the 
variety,  that  characterized  the  floral 
treasures  of  the  old-fashioned  exam- 
ple. More  than  that,  we  have  indi- 
viduality of  beauty,  which  is,  in  one 
sense,  the  best  of  all  beauty,  fostered 
in  the  highest  degree.  One's  eco- 
nomical instincts  are  satisfied  with 
the  idea  of  possessing  flowers  that 
need  no  re-setting  year  by  year,  and 
one's  instinct  for  beauty  can  certainly  ask  for  no  more 
abundant  feast  than  is  here  spread  out. 


JAPAN    IRIS. 

(|RI8    IOCMPFERI.) 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BEDDING  PLANTS. 


HE  terms  flower  bedding,  color  bed- 
ding, or  carpet  bedding  are  famil- 
iar to  every  one  who  gives  flowers 
the  slightest  consideration.  Farm 
door-yards  and  Newport  lawns 
alike  disport  themselves  in  the 
gay  but  unfortunately  often  garish 
colors  of  the  coleus  and  geranium. 

No  need  to  advocate  their  use.  They  have  achieved  a 
foothold  that  is  not  likely  to  be  soon  shaken.  The  uni- 
versal delight  in  rich  color  is  satisfied  by  their  employment 
and  the  expense  of  their  employment  is  comparatively 
small. 

They  have  long  ago  come  to  stay.  It  therefore  behoves 
us  carefully  to  consider  here  how  they  should  be  employed 
in  any  definite  attempt  at  a  harmonious  arrangement  of  a 
well-appointed  lawn.  As  we  find  them  presented  on  many 
grass  plats,  their  appearance  is  vulgar,  inharmonious,  and 
barbaric.  The  discord  of  color  shocks  one  like  an  accuinu- 

216 


BEDDING  PLANTS.  217 

lation  of  false  notes  in  music.  So  common,  moreover,  lias 
this  bad  composition  grown,  that  some  of  the  most  refined 
and  enlightened  spirits  among  landscape  gardeners  have 
declared  unqualified  war  against  all  color  and  carpet  bed- 
ding whatsoever.  It  seems  to  me,  however,  that  this  is 
a  prejudice  and  a  narrow  one. 

The  reasonable  view,  the  artistic  instinct,  would  be, 
I  am  sure,  to  consider  each  coleus  and  geranium  as  a  single 
beautiful  plant  and  therefore  deserving  employment  in 
artistically  conceived  designs  and  appropriate  surround- 
ings. It  is  a  great  mistake  to  consider  the  employment  of 
a  coleus  or  geranium  as  requiring  any  different  general 
principle  of  landscape-gardening  arrangement  from  that  of 
shrubs  and  trees.  The  coleus  is  taken  up  in  the  fall — 
though  there  is  nothing  peculiar  in  that — and  new  planta- 
tions of  it  made  in  the  following  spring,  but  lack  of  hardi- 
ness should  affect  not  at  all  the  necessity  for  applying  the 
artistic  principles  of  landscape  gardening  to  all  branches  of 
the  art.  Color  and  form  are  given  to  the  artist  to  use, 
whether  it  be  in  the  shape  of  a  coleus  or  an  elm  tree, 
and  it  is  his  business  to  see  that  the  color  and  form  are 
arranged  in  the  composition  in  the  most  effective,  har- 
monious, and  pleasing  way.  The  principles  governing  their 
arrangement  are,  moreover,  the  same  in  both  cases. 

Now  all  this  is  doubtless  evident  as  soon  as  we  give  the 
subject  reasonable  consideration.  Why,  then,  the  prejudice 
against  the  use  of  bedding  plants,  as  evinced  by  persons 
of  unquestionable  taste.  It  must  be  mere  thoughtlessness; 
for  if  they  would  only  think  for  a  moment,  they  must 
see  that  the  arrangement  of  an  oval  bed  of  coleuses  and 


218 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


centaureas  into  a  glaring  combination  of  stripes  and  formal 
bands  of  red,  white,  and  yellow,  like  some  gigantic  pastry 
cook's  tart,  does  not  prevent  a  better  method  being  employed 
by  a  better  designer. 

When  we  have  drawn  a  well-designed  bed  on  paper, 
however,  we  have  only  commenced  to  solve  the  problem  of 
good  designing  for  bedding.  The  scheme  must  be  made  to 
fit  a  certain  spot,  and  must  be  harmonized  and  adjusted  to 
its  surroundings.  For  instance,  a  certain  decorative  bed 
around  the  fountain  at  Union  Square,  New  York,  may  look 


1.  ALTERNANTHERA. 

2.  ACALYPHA  MACROPHYLLA. 


3.  ACALYPHA  MUSAICA. 

4.  GERANIUM  (DWARF). 


all  right,  while  a  similarly  arranged  bed  on  a  Central  Park 
meadow  would  shock  the  sense  of  harmony. 

Let  us  consider  for  a  moment  this  arrangement  of  bed- 
ding plants  around  the  Union  Square  fountain.  It  is  one 
typical  illustration.  In  good  work  of  this  sort,  as  I  have 
mentioned,  there  must  be  a  definite  recognition  of  all  the 
general  principles  of  landscape-gardening  art.  Properly 
adjusted  emphasis  must  be  secured,  and  the  treatment  ap- 
proximated in  miniature  to  that  of  the  ordinary  lawn. 
Consequently  we  find  in  the  Union  Square  illustration  the 


BEDDING  PLANTS.  219 


grass  of  the  lawn  represented  by  the  dwarf,  close-set  alter- 
nantheras,  the  shrubs  by  the  coleuses  and  geraniums,  and 
the  trees  by  the  larger  forms  of  the  acalyphas. 

The  relations  of  these  parts  are,  it  will  be  seen,  unlike 
those  of  the  different  features  of  the  lawn,  but  they  are 
carefully  studied,  so  as  to  bring  them  into  artistic  and 
effective  relations  with  each  other  and  with  the  gleaming 
water  and  the  floating  pond-lilies.  The  higher  parts  of  the 
bed  are  not  so  high  as  to  obscure  the  effect  of  the  water- 
plants,  and  the  lower  parts  have  a  sufficient  expanse  in 
places  to  afford  the  eye,  although  in  miniature,  a  little  of 
the  pleasure  of  grass  spaces.  The  eye  is  attracted  from 
afar  by  the  jewel-like  effect  of  brilliant  color,  and  yet  when 
the  fountain  is  reached  all  parts  are  so  nicely  adjusted  to 
each  other  that  the  gaze,  dwelling  for  a  moment  with  de- 
light on  the  bedding,  passes  at  once  to  the  superior  charms 
of  the  water-lilies  and  fountain  spray.  When  we  compare 
such  a  fairly  adjusted  and  artistic  arrangement  of  bedding 
as  that  around  the  Union  Square  fountain  with  the  ordinary 
coleus  bed  found  in  many  front-door  yards,  we  begin  to  see 
why  bedding  is  sometimes  severely  condemned. 

I  think  the  main  difficulty  with  most  bedding  is  that 
the  designer  frequently  fails  to  recognize  the  value  of  proper 
emphasis  of  parts  in  arranging  his  flower  and  foliage  beds. 
He  uses  cannas  alone  or  he  uses  coleuses  and  geraniums 
alone.  Out  in  the  grass  he  sets  a  strange  and  intricate 
design  of  rosette-like  echeverias  and  calls  it  a  carpet-bed  or 
rug,  and  thinks  he  is  artistic.  The  plants  are  attractive 
individually,  and  the  arrangement  perhaps  curious  and  in- 
teresting, but  it  is  out  of  place,  out  of  key,  and  improperly 


220 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


related  to  its  surroundings.     They  seem  unhappy  for  lack 
of  the  congenial  company  they  find  in  nature. 

As  a  rule,  it  may  be  said  that  ornamental  planting  of 
this  character,  namely,  bedding,  should  be  restricted  to  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  architectural  structures  and  to 
small  city  squares  or  greens,  where  the  rigid  lines  of  the 


BED  OF  CANNAS,  COLEUSES,  AND  ACALYPHAS. 

neighboring  masses  of  houses  are  inevitably,  to  the  eye, 
associated  with  the  semi-artificial-looking  bedding. 

A  favorable  arrangement  for  bedding  plants  will  be 
found  directly  against  the  wall  of  a  large  building.  A  solid 
background  always  enhances  the  attraction  of  a  mass  of 
bedding.  First  come  the  cannas,  solanums,  or  other  large- 
leaf  plants  against  the  wall,  then  acalyphas,  coleuses, 
geraniums,  and  last  pyrethrums  and  alternantheras. 


ooo  BEDDING  PLANTS. 


There  is  one  feature  of  the  flower  or  foliage  bed  that  is 
apt  to  look  stiff  and  inartistic,  and  that  is  the  extreme  edge 
or  border.  This  is  usually  too  sharply  cut  in  outline.  The 
plants  do  not  blend  with  the  grass,  and  the  sharp  transition 
line  is  not  agreeable.  To  overcome  this  stiffness  of  outline, 
single  plants  of  the  coleus  or  geranium  size  should  be  set 
out  in  the  grass  just  beyond  the  actual  border  of  the  bed. 
Then  at  various  points  throughout  the  bed  the  pyrethruin 
or  alternanthera  edging  the  masses  of  coleus  or  geranium 
should  be  brought  forward  close  to  the  low  border,  and 
here  and  there  several  of  them  should  be  allowed  to  get 
over  the  border  and  establish  themselves  in  the  neighbor- 
ing grass.  This  will  create  a  properly  related  emphasis  of 
outline,  a  pleasing  variety,  and  irregularity  enough  to  just 
escape  formality.  There  must  be  necessarily  a  certain  pre- 
cision of  lines,  but  the  treatment  should  all  the  time  bear 
a  distinct  and  well-defined  kinship  to  that  employed  by 
nature  in  our  fields  and  pastures. 

I  have  now  considered  two  common  types  of  bedding, 
one  a  narrow  border  around  the  stone  coping  of  a  fountain, 
and  another  the  frequently  recurring  case  of  a  plantation 
against  the  wall  of  a  building. 

There  is  another  and  still  more  important  one,  in  the 
small  city  parks  for  instance,  where  there  is  no  building  or 
fountain  around  which  to  mass  the  bedding.  In  that  case 
the  bedding  should  be  arranged  as  foreground  to  the  shrub 
groups,  leaving  the  main  lawn  space  undiminished.  An 
illustration  of  this  arrangement  may  be  seen  in  the  half-acre 
lawn  of  Jeannette  Park,  on  the  East  River,  near  the  foot  of 
Broad  Street,  New  York,  where  belts  of  glowing  coleuses 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


223 


and  pyrethrums  wind  in  and  out  in  front  of  the  irregular 
masses  of  shrubs  and  border  their  confines.  At  irregular 
intervals  in  the  belts  of  coleuses  and  gladioluses  appear 
masses  of  cannas  and  acalyphas. 

The  effect  thus  obtained  is  almost  tropical-like  in 
appearance,  and  yet  in  a  certain  sense  subordinates  itself 
to,  and  blends  with,  the  masses  of  trees  and  shrubs.  It  is, 
moreover,  bright  and  cheerful,  and  decorative,  in  a  region 
full  of  dull  brick  and  stone  buildings,  where  such  relief  is 
particularly  grateful. 

There  is  again  the  effect  of 
bedding  with  a  minimum  of  green- 
ward  at  Jackson  Square,  Thirteenth 
Street  and  Eighth  Avenue,  where 
the  open  available  centre  for  grass 
space  was  so  small  after  the  walks 
and  boundary  plantations  were 
made,  that  it  was  deemed  better  to 
fill  nearly  all  the  central  space  with 
a  bouquet  of  foliage  plants  of  many 
colors.  The  bed  was  an  irregular 
star-shape,  with  cannas  and  acalyphas  in  the  centre,  and 
coleuses  and  geraniums  and  pyrethrums  and  alternantheras 
on  the  outside. 

Masses  of  bananas,  cannas,  acalyphas,  geraniums,  etc., 
are  made  to  produce  excellent  effects  by  planting  them  in 
irregular  masses  up  and  down  a  steep  bank,  with  single 
specimens  of  acalyphas  and  geraniums  standing  outside  the 
main  groups.  I  question  much  indeed  whether  coleuses 
and  geraniums  should  be  planted  anywhere  without  such 


SWORD  LILY. 
(GLADIOLUS.) 


224 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


large  plants  as  cannas  and  acalyphas  to  emphasize  and  re- 
lieve anything  like  a  flat  monotonous  effect.  Even  in  the 
park  at  the  foot  of  Canal  Street,  New  York,  one  of  the 
roughest  and  dirtiest  of  neighborhoods,  where  green  grass 
is  a  priceless  boon,  a  bit  of  massed  cannas,  acalyphas, 
coleuses,  arid  geraniums  have  been  introduced  effectively 
without  injuring  the  open  centre  grass  effect. 

Shade  is  of  course  all  important  to  the  small  city  park, 
and  the  shade  of  large  trees  is  entirely  de- 
structive to  the  growth  of  bedding  plants, 
which    need   sun   and   air   in   abundance. 


FOUNTAIN. 


1.  CANNAS. 

2.  COLEU8  VEB8CHAFFELTII. 

8.  COLEUS  KIRKPATRICK. 

4.  GERANIUM  (BLACK  HAWK). 

5.  GERANIUM  (GENERAL  GRANT). 

6.  ALTERNANTHERA   (vELLOw). 

7.  ALTERNANTHERA   (RED). 


8.  ACALYPHA   TRICOLOR. 

9.  ACALYPHA   MACROPHYLLA. 

10.  6ALVIA  6PLENDEN8. 

11.  80LANUM    WARSCEWICZIOIOES. 

12.  CASTOR-OIL    PLANT. 

13.  ERYTHRINA    CRISTA-GALLI. 

14.  VINCA    ROSEA. 


15.  LAMTANA    DELICATISSIMA. 

16.  CENTAUREA  CANOIDIS8IMA. 

17.  PYRETHRUM    AUREUM. 

18.  DATURA. 


There  are  plenty  of  nooks,  however,  for  bedding  plants  in 
small  city  parks  that  are  not  shaded,  where  they  may  be 
planted  with  excellent  effect,  adding  much  to  the  pleasure 
of  many  people. 

The  system  of  bedding  adopted  around  the  Arsenal  in 
Central  Park  shows  the  frequently  recurring  example  al- 
ready mentioned  of  a  wall  bordered  with  grass  and  decorated 
with  bedding  plants.  The  large  kinds,  like  cannas,  castor- 
oil  plants,  solanums,  etc.,  are  naturally  arranged  against  the 


BEDDING  PLANTS.  225 

Avail,  and  then  the  acalyphas  and  araarantus  and  geraniums 
and  finally  the  pyrethrums  and  alternantheras.  This  is  all 
regular  and  in  due  form,  and  so  is  the  waving  line  of  the 
border  of  bed  both  on  the  inside  and  out. 

The  peculiar  part  of  this  arrangement  of  bedding  lies 
in  the  way  the  large  plants,  such  as  cannas,  etc.,  are  brought 
forward  nearly  to  the  front  of  the  mass.  Then  across  the 
border  to  the  very  grass  are  carried  narrow  clusters  of 
acalyphas,  geraniums,  etc.  These  promontories  of  color  are 
thrown  out  where  the  border  of  grass  is  narrowest,  and  in 
the  bays  of  the  bedding  single  specimens  of  geraniums  and 
acalyphas  are  set  in  the  grass  opposite  the  same  plants 
growing  in  the  mass  ;  the  whole  arrangement  being  in- 
tended to  impress  the  eye  as  a  continually  changing  effect 
of  recesses  and  bays  and  promontories  and  valleys  of  the 
richest  color. 

The  illustration,  on  the  following  page,  of  varying  ellip- 
ses or  discs,  superimposed  one  over  the  other,  makes  an 
excellent  and  artistic  effect  of  broadly  massed  colors  in 
bedding. 

The  illustrations  of  bedding  I  have  thus  far  discussed 
briefly  have  been  carefully  designed  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Measurements  were  taken  of  the  exact  spot  the  pro- 
posed bed  was  to  occupy,  and  the  figure  was  drawn  out  on 
a  sheet  of  paper,  showing  at  the  same  time  any  adjoining 
buildings,  walks,  or  shrub  groups.  A  list  of  plants  to  be 
used  in  the  bed  was  then  made  and  their  heights  and  colors 
at  maturity  written  out.  It  then  became  a  question  of 
combining  colors  and  various  heights  of  plants  into  a  single 
artistic  effect.  The  outlines  and  proportions  of  the  various 


226  BEDDING  PLANTS. 

masses  of  plants  were  carefully  sketched  out  in  pencil  and 
then  the  colors  used  were  painted  between  the  lines.  When 
this  original  study  had  been  carefully  worked  out,  tracings 
on  muslin,  including  color,  were  taken  from  it  and  given  to 
the  engineer.  It  was  his  duty  to  mark  out  the  boundaries 
of  the  various  parts  of  the  bed  with  stakes.  Then  the 


BO    FT.    IN    DIAMETER. 
8T.    AND    FIFTH   AVE. ,    N.    Y. 

»•    ACALYPHA.  5.    COLEUS   VER8CHAFFELTII. 

4.    COLEUS. 


gardeners  took  the  map,  with  its  colored  pattern  and  key 
or  list  of  plants,  and  proceeded  to  execute  the  work  of 
planting  out  the  geraniums,  coleuses,  etc.,  in  accordance 
with  the  design. 

Nor  did  the  work  of  intelligent  management  end  here, 
for  from  time  to  time  throughout  the  summer  it  was  the 


BEDDING  PLANTS.  227 


business  of  the  gardeners  not  only  to  water  and  cultivate 
tlie  bedding  plants,  but  also  to  prune  them  with  intelligence 
and  art.  It  is  usually  the  practice  to  pinch  back  coleuses 
and  other  plants  in  order  to  make  them  look  even  and  thick, 
simply  a  broad,  flat  mass,  but  in  this  way  all  due  emphasis 
of  parts  is  lost. 

In  fact  no  pinching  whatever  should  be  practised  ex- 
cept here  and  there  where  a  single  plant  grows  awkwardly, 
or  where  too  even  a  surface  appeal's.  In  some  cases,  even, 
as  in  Union  Square,  the  acalyphas  have  been  trained  for  a 
time  on  sticks  to  secure  the  strongest  contrast  possible  be- 
tween the  tree  effect  of  the  acalypha  and  the  grass  effect  of 
the  alternanthera.  Pruning  plants  of  all  kinds,  it  should 
be  remembered,  means  in  its  proper  acceptation  the 
development  of  natural  and  characteristic  beauties.  It 
means  perfecting  the  special  individuality  of  the  plant. 
Judging  from  the  style  of  pruning  we  often  see,  the  object 
of  the  art  might  be  readily  supposed  to  mean  obliterating 
as  far  as  possible  all  individuality. 

Having  thus  denned  and  illustrated  briefly  the  main 
principles  that  should  apply  to  the  construction  of  a  color 
or  foliage  bed,  it  would  seem  proper  to  consider  some  of 
the  leading  plants  suitable  for  work  of  this  kind.  Taking 
them  in  the  order  of  their  employment,  from  the  lowest  to 
the  highest,  we  have  among  the  grass  type  the  altenuui- 
theras.  They  do  not  grow  ordinarily  over  five  or  six  inches 
high,  and  have  close-set  leaves  not  unlike  those  of  grass. 
Their  marked  peculiarity  is  found  in  their  coloring.  Each 
leaf  is  variegated  in  irregular  fashion  with  green  and  red 
or  green  and  yellow,  the  foundation  color  being  green.  The 


228  BEDDING  PLANTS. 


best  of  the  red  kinds  are  versicolor,  anwena,  and  paronychi- 
aides  ;  and  of  the  yellow,  anrea  and  aurea  nana. 

Where  these  alternantheras  do  not  appear  as  a  grass 
effect  throughout  the  mass  of  bedding,  their  proper  place  is 
on  the  extreme  edge  of  the  group.  Such  borders  should 
never  be  of  regular  width,  but  should  swell  in  and  out  of 
the  general  mass.  The  illustration  of  the  bedding  adjoining 
the  Arsenal,  Central  Park,  indicates  this  method  of  using 
alternantheras  on  the  outskirts  of  the  plantations. 

Belonging  to  the  same  grass  type  and  blending  the 
larger  plants  of  the  bedding  with  the  greensward,  are  the 
centaureas,  pyrethrums,  and  nasturtiums.  The  echeverias 
do  not  blend  with  a  general  mass  of  bedding.  They  are 
too  dwarf  and  too  stiff  and  formal  in  appearance,  and 
should  therefore  be  always  used  in  designs  by  themselves. 
Indeed,  to  me  their  strange,  rosette-like  shapes  are  not  alto- 
gether attractive,  although  they  are  certainly  interesting 
and  curious.  Echeverias  form  the  greater  part  of  the 
famous  carpet-beds  and  rugs  constructed  with  so  much  art 
on 'many  lawns.  Two  excellent  echeverias  are  metallica 
and  secuiula  glauca. 

Pyrethrums,  sometimes  called  fever  few,  or  golden 
feather,  are  also  well  suited  for  border  bedding-plants. 
They  are  somewhat  larger  in  growth  than  the  alternan- 
theras, but  their  contour  is  soft  and  agreeable,  and  blends 
well  with  the  general  mass.  The  kind  best  suited  for 
bedding  is  aureum,  on  account  of  its  bright  yellow  color 
and  its  dwarf  habit.  The  same  irregular  treatment  of  a 
border  arrangement  applies  as  well  to  pyrethrums  as  to 
alternantheras. 


BEDDING  PLANTS.  229 


There  is  one  plant  for  which  I  desire  to  ask  special  atten- 
tion, on  account  of  its  fitness  for  border  planting.  It  is  an 
excellent  and  charming  bedding-plant  in  every  way.  I  refer 
to  the  well-known  old  plant,  the  nasturtium  vine.  There 
are  some  kinds  more  dwarf  and  less  vine-like  in  habit,  and 
therefore  preferable  for  bedding.  The  leaf  of  the  nastur- 
tium, with  its  slightly  formal  outline,  round  rather  than 
oval,  and  its  delicate  shadings,  is  decorative  individually. 
When  we  come,  however,  to  mass  a  lot  of  these  leaves  in 
the  irregular  picturesque  fashion  in  which  they  naturally 
grow,  their  full  charms  appear.  These  charms  are  specially 
effective  as  a  border  to  color  beds,  especially  if  the  arrange- 
ment is  on  a  slope  or  bank.  The  tendrils  of  the  nastur- 
tium push  out  over  the  turf,  and  break  up  the  more  or  less 
stiff  outline  of  the  bed  in  the  most  attractive  manner  possi- 
ble. A  certain  restraint  of  this  creeping  nature  will  be,  of 
course,  necessary,  to  prevent  the  nasturtiums  from  over- 
running the  greensward  on  one  side  and  the  bedding-plants 
on  the  other. 

I  have  not  spoken  of  the  yellow  and  orange  flowers  of 
the  nasturtium,  although  they  are  very  attractive,  because 
*in  color-  and  foliage-bedding  the  leaf  is  of  prime  importance, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  leaf  lasting  longer  than  the 
flower,  but  on  account  of  the  broad  effects  of  color  on  the 
mass,  which  must  be  derived  from  the  leaves.  The  flowers 
will  undoubtedly  increase  the  attraction  of  the  bed,  but 
they  cannot  be  counted  as  one  of  the  essential  elements  of 
the  color-bedding  design. 

An  important  part  of  all  bedding  is  the  clearly  defined 
solid  and  distinct  colors  that  can  be  used  in  combination 


230  BEDDING  PLANTS. 


with  each  other.  The  collection  of  the  variegated  and 
mixed  colors  may  be  attractively  arranged  in  an  irregular 
manner,  but  such  kinds  will  rarely  make  that  flashing, 
jewel-like  effect  that  is  exhibited  by  the  solid  self-colors  of 
silver,  red,  and  gold. 

The  most  perfect  type  of  the  silvery  or  white  effect  is 
that  of  Centaurea  candidissima.  It  is  almost  pure  white, 
and  forms  in  combination  a  clearly  marked  contrast  with 
the  red  and  yellow  of  the  other  plants.  The  two  objections 
to  it  are :  firstly,  that  it  is  not  bushy  enough,  does  not  grow 
thickly  on  the  ground  ;  and  secondly,  that  it  is  hardly  tall 
enough  to  use  as  a  shrub  form  of  bedding-plant  and  too 
large  for  the  alternanthera  or  grass  type.  Where  the  com- 
bination will  admit  it  ceutaureas  should  always  be  arranged 
as  an  irregular  border  outside  of  the  geraniums  or  coleuses. 
They  may  be  streaked  through  the  coleuses,  but  if  set  in 
large  patches  within  the  mass  the  coleuses  are  apt  to  obscure 
them. 

The  combination,  side  by  side,  of  centaureas  and  gera- 
niums is  difficult  to  manage  well.  The  pyrethrums  look 
better  with  geraniums,  but  geraniums,  as  a  rule,  look  well 
grown  in  large  masses  together,  with  a  few  points  of  the 
mass  accentuated  with  acalyphas  and  amarantus.  These 
groups  of  geraniums  can  be  greatly  varied  by  using  the 
many  distinct  varieties  that  are  now  grown. 

The  main  types  of  geraniums,  however,  that  are  specially 
useful  in  this  kind  of  color-  or  foliage-bedding  are  the  large 
yellowish  green-leaved  sorts  with  showy  flowers,  of  which 
the  General  Grant  variety  is  a  well-known  and  popular 
instance.  The  second  is  the  horseshoe  geranium,  with  its 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


231 


DOUBLE  GERANIUM. 


distinct  and  lovely  leaf  shadiiigs  and  less  conspicuous 
flowers.  Third  and  last  comes  the  silver-leaved,  well  repre- 
sented by  the  variety  Mountain  of  Snow. 
This  variety 'stands  the  sun  well. 

Geraniums  are  excellent  for  bedding 
throughout  the  summer  until  frost  comes, 
and  are  comparatively  free  from  disease. 
Their  forms  are  picturesque  and  compact- 
growing,  covering  the  ground  well,  while 
fewr  bedding  plants  will  grow  in  diy  sandy 
soil  better  and  continue  to -resist  the  effects 
of  drought  so  long.  The  colors  of  the  different  kinds 
of  geraniums  mentioned  above  are  so  distinct  that,  on 
experiment,  it  will  be  found  that  the  most  effective  com- 
binations can  be  made  of  their  various  tints.  It  is  not  a 
generally  accepted  statement,  but  I  believe  it  to  be  never- 
theless true,  that  every  geranium  bed  should  have  a  border 
round  it  of  pyrethrum,  alternanthera,  or  similar  plants 
of  the  grass  type.  This  is,  of  course,  simply  following  out 
the  principles  of  bedding  design  I  have 
already  laid  down. 

We  come  now  to  the  most  important 
plant  for  color  effect  that  we  use  in  bed- 
ding. The  coleus  is  widely  known  and 
appreciated.  It  has  been  propagated  and 
varied  by  cultivation  until  its  wonderful 
capacity  for  sporting  has  given  us  an 
astonishing  number  of  the  most  diverse- 
looking  sorts.  The  leaves  are  spotted,  shaded,  and  striped 
with  every  conceivable  tint  of  red,  yellow,  brown,  purple, 


SINGLE  GERANIUM. 


232  BEDDING  PLANTS. 


and  green.  For  the  best  designs  of  bedding,  however,  I  am 
satisfied  that  the  most  valuable  coleuses  are  those  exhibiting 
nearly  solid  self-colors  of  red  or  yellow.  The  best  exam- 
ples of  these  are  probably  Verschaffeltii  and  golden  bedder, 
red  and  yellow  kinds.  The  first  is,  I  am  tempted  to  say, 
the  best  single  kind  of  coleus  we  have  for  color-bedding, 
if  not  the  best  among  all  plants.  There  is  no  plant,  I  be- 
lieve, that  presents  a  more  brilliant  jewel-like  effect  in  a 
bedding  combination  of  colors  than  Coleus  Verschaffeltii. 

There  is  no  coleus  that  I  know  of  which  has  solidly  green 
leaves,  but  Kirlcpatrick  does  duty  fairly  well  in  a  green 
effect,  its  foliage  being  only  slightly  mottled  with  yellow. 
Coleuses  are  not  as  generally  successful  as  geraniums,  espe- 
cially in  dry  weather,  and  in  early  autumn  disease  is  often 
liable  to  attack  them. 

An  excellent  plant  for  a  small  tree  effect  in  bedding  is 
the  A.marantns  scdicifolius.  It  is  weeping  and  graceful  in 
habit,  and  glowing  with  red  tints.  Its  height  at  maturity 
is  about  three  to  four  feet. 

A  far  better  plant,  however,  of  the  same  type  is  the 
Acalypha.  This  plant  is  apparently  little  used  in  this 
country,  but  its  large,  rich-looking,  variegated  red  and  green 
leaves  and  its  weeping  habit  combine  to  give  it  a  splendid 
effect  in  a  foliage  bed.  I  hardly  know  a  bedding-plant 
except  Coleus  Verscliaffeltii  that  presents  such  a  glowing 
red  as  the  acalypha,  and  the  acalypha  has  the  advantage 
of  being  a  much  larger  and  more  graceful  plant  than  the 
coleus.  The  place  for  the  acalypha  in  a  bed  is  next  to  the 
cannas  where  cannas  are  used.  It  cannot  be  associated 
effectively  adjoining  either  geraniums  or  coleuses,  being 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


233 


taller,  two  to  three  feet  high,  and  growing  much  larger 
leaves. 

Salvia  splendens  is  also  an  effective  bedding-plant, 
growing  two  or  three  feet  high.  Its 
foliage  is  attractive  and  thick-growing, 
and  the  flowers  are  specially  attrac- 
tive, because  they  glow  with  a  rich 
red  late  in  autumn. 

Vinca  rosea  may  be  also  used  with 
excellent  effect  in  this  shrub  type  of 
bedding.  Its  rich  green  glossy  leaves  SALVIA  SPLENDENS. 
are  its  chief  attraction.  The  last  and  most  important  feat- 
ure of  foliage-bedding  is  the  employment  of  the  tree  type  of 
plants.  First  and  most  important  of  these  are  the  canna 
effects.  The  well  known  Canna  Indica  has  many  varieties, 
but  their  general  appearance  exhibits  on  the  lawn  great 
solid  leaves  extending  from  the  ground  six  or  eight  feet 
high.  Their  tints  of  green  run  in  some  kinds  into  rich 
red  and  purple  hues.  One  of  the  best 
of  these  is  Canna  Ehmanni  of  compara- 
tively recent  introduction.  The  foliage 
is  not  as  large  as  that  of  some  other 
cannas,  but  it  is  solid  and  massive  and 
banana-like,  and  the  crimson-scarlet  flow- 
ers hang  in  heavy  clusters  from  the 
top  of  the  plant,  and  continue  in  bloom, 
throughout  the  season.  The  value  of 
CANNA  INDICA.  the  canna  in  bedding  lies  chiefly  in  its 
leaves.  Masses  of  these  leaves  seen  even  from  some  dis- 
tance have  a  specially  tropical  and  pleasing  effect,  and 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


fl? 


add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  any  part  of  a  bed  that  they 
emphasize.  Cannas  should  be  always  used  in  considerable 
masses. 

The\'  are  tuberous-rooted  and  not  hardy,  and  these 
tubers  should  be  taken  up  and  kept  through  the  winter  in 
a  dry  cellar  or  greenhouse  where  the  frost  can  be  kept  out. 
It  is  a  good  idea  to  start  cannas  in  early  spring,  in  pots, 
so  that  when  they  come  to  be  set  out  they  will  be  a 

foot  or  too  high.  In  this  way 
their  full  effect  will  be  ob- 
tained early  in  the  season, 
canuas  should  be  set  out 

about  a  foot  to  fifteen  inches 

'  r~' 
\"     f  apart,    to    secure    their   best 

effect  in  masses. 

A  grand  plant  to  associ- 
ate with  cannas,  because  it 
serves  to  greatly  develop  and 
perfect  their  special  foliage 
effect,  is  the  banana  plant 
( Musa  ensete).  The  leaves 
are  enormously  high  and 
broad  —  eight  to  ten  feet 
high  and  two  feet  broad, — dominating  and  yet  resembling 
those  of  the  caunas.  Nothing  can  be  more  tropical-looking, 
— and  the  reddish  tint  of  the  midrib  and  adjacent  veinings 
and  the  prevailing  tint  of  green  of  the  leaf  is  charming. 

The  plan  of  associating  the  Musa  ensete  with  a  mass  of 
cannas  is  also  valuable,  because  the  Musa  is  thus  enabled  by 
the  support  of  the  canna  leaves  to  resist  high  winds  which 


'"' 


BANANA  PLANT. 
(MUSA  ENSETE.) 


BEDDING  PLANTS. 


235 


SOLANUM  WARSCEWICZIOIDES. 


are  apt  to  beat  it  about  and  tear  it.  Mma  ensete  is  the 
st iff est-gro wing  of  its  race,  but  the  support  of  the  cannas 
is  nevertheless  valu- 
able. These  banana 
plants  can  be  win- 
tered like  the  cannas 
in  a  warm  cellar  or 
cool  greenhouse,  and 
then  potted  for  May 
planting. 

Other  great  mas- 
sive  plants  suited  for 
the  tree  effect  in 
bedding  are  the  sola- 
nums.  The  leaves 
are  large,  thick,  and  deeply  and  picturesquely  cut,  and 
hang  in  drooping  masses.  It  is  altogether  a  massive-look- 
ing plant. 

The  castor-oil  plant  is  another  ex- 
cellent instance  of  the  tree  type  for 
bedding.  It  is  the  tallest,  perhaps, 
of  all  the  plants  used  in  bedding, 
and  specially  picturesque  in  growth 
and  tinting.  Its  place,  however,  is 
among  other  plants,  such  as  sola- 
nums,  where  its  somewhat  naked 
stem  will  be  properly  clothed  and 
supported.  The  well-known  ele- 
phant ear,  Caladium  esculentum  may  be  also  used  effectively 
in  similar  associations. 


ELEPHANT    EAR. 

< CALADIUM    ESCULENTUM 


236  BEDDING  PLANTS. 

I  wiah  to  say  a  word  before  closing  about  the  use  of 
tulips,  pansies,  and  daisies  for  spring  bedding.  It  is  really 
color-bedding  with  flowers,  rather  than  leaves,  for  the  leaves 
at  the  early  season  when  tulips  bloom  have  hardly  yet 
developed.  The  contrast  of  the  pansies  and  daisies  set  out 
in  the  same  pattern  as  that  of  the  succeeding  summer  bed- 
ding is  attractive  and  effective,  but  they  are  modest  in  the 
extreme  in  the  presence  of  the  tulips. 

By  employing  the  red,  yellow,  and  white  tulips  in  the 
summer-bedding  patterns  the  most  splendid  effect  of  clear, 
pure,  glowing  color  can  be  obtained.  The 
large  round  bed  at  the  entrance  to  Central 
Park,  at  Fifth  Avenue  and  Fifty-ninth 
Street,  is  thus  planted  in  varying  ovals 
that  make  broad  masses  of  color,  first  white, 
then  yellow,  and  then  red  next  to  the  green 
grass.  Red  color  forms  a  striking  and 
pleasing  contrast  with  the  green  of  the 
NEW  SINGLE  TULIPS,  grass,  and  is  therefore  generally  arranged 
next  to  the  greensward  as  shown  in  the  diagram  on 
page  226. 

The  effect  of  tulip  and  pansy  bedding  is  necessarily 
somewhat  flat  and  monotonous  in  contour,  but  this  naturally 
comes  from  using  flowers,  as  it  were,  alone  for  producing  a 
color-effect.  In  only  this  way,  however,  can  we  secure 
early  spring  color-beds,  because  foliage  plants  such  as 
canuas,  coleuses,  etc.,  cannot  generally  be  planted  out  with 
safety  in  the  climate  of  New  York  before  May  20th.  At 
that  time  tulips  are,  as  a  rule,  done  flowering,  and  pansies 
past  their  prime. 


BEDDING  PLANTS.  237 

Pansies  are  planted  out  in  March  and  early  April,  being 
almost  in  bloom  when  set  out,  and  tulip-bulbs  are  planted 
late  in  the  fall  of  the  year  previous  to  that  of  blooming. 
Two  excellent  red  kinds  of  tulips  are  La  Belle  Alliance  and 
Artus  /  among  white  kinds  I  would  name  white  Pottebaker  • 
and  among  the  yellow  kinds  I  would  select  Yellow  Prince 
and  Canary  Bird.  Due  Van  Tholl  is  a  splendid  red 
variety,  but  it  is  too  dwarf,  and  blooms  at  a  somewhat 
different  time  from  those  mentioned  above.  I  do  not  insist 
on  these  varieties,  but  take  them  because  they  have  clean, 
pure  self-colors,  and  because  they  are  of  the  same  height 
and  bloom  at  the  same  time.  These  are  essential  qualities  for 
tulips  to  possess  that  are  intended  to  be  associated  together 
in  the  same  color- bed. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  ORNAMENTATION  OF  PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


'ID  the  reader  ever  have  a  place  in  the 
country  ?  If  he  has  and  does  not 
want  to  grow  sick  of  it,  or  if  he  has 
none,  but  hopes  to  have  one,  and 
does  not  want  to  be  forced  to  give 
it  up  in  disgust,  let  me  give  him  a 
piece  of  advice.  Don't  undertake 
too  much.  Have  only  five  hundred  square  feet  of  grass  and 
one  tree  or  half  a  dozen  shrubs,  but  have  all  of  the  best. 
Big  deep,  fertilize  liberally,  plant  the  best  grass-seed  and 
plenty  of  it,  set  out  the  largest  trees  and  shrubs  that  will 
be  likely  to  grow,  and  care  for  them  tenderly,  year  after 
year.  Dig  about  them  and  prune  them  and  spare  no  pains 
to  make  them  the  best  of  their  kind ;  or,  let  me  say  at  once, 
that  the  reader's  delight  in  nature  and  his  desire  to  imitate 
her  effects  will  not  prevent  the  failure  of  his  lawn-planting. 
All  this  is  said  in  advance,  because  it  applies  as  well  to 
water-plants  as  to  ordinary  lawn-plants. 

I  propose  now,  in  a  few  words,  to  tell  the  reader  how  I 
came  to  attempt  to  grow,  and  to  succeed,  after  much  tribula- 

238 


PONDS  AND  LAKES.  239 

tion,  in  growing,  a  good  collection  of  water-plants,  and  how 
reasonably  satisfactory  water- effects  were  contrived  on  my 
lawns.  At  a  comparatively  early  period  in  life,  having 
a  comfortable  fortune,  the  desire  took  possession  of  me  to 
have  a  country-place. 

With  my  country-place  came  the  usual  failures  and 
successes  that  are  incident  to  the  construction  of  lawns  and 
gardens  in  the  hands  of  amateurs.  The  failures,  I  am  frank 
enough  to  confess, .  much  outnumbered  the  successes.  I 
shall,  however,  content  myself  with  giving  a  brief  account 
of  my  lily-pond  work.  The  soil  on  my  place,  of  one 
hundred  acres,  was  gravel  and  sand,  and  a  stream  or  pond 
on  one  side  of  it  had  a  clean  pebbly  bottom  and  water  that 
flowed  rapidly  down  a  decline.  The  water  was  only  a  few 
inches  deep  in  many  places.  I  thought  it  would  be  a  good 
plan  to  dig  out  the  bottom  a  bit,  and  in  this  way  lost 
much  valuable  fertilizing  material.  However,  I  did  not 
mind  that,  as  I  expected  to  dig  a  hole  for  each  water-plant 
and  to  fill  it  up  with  good  soil  from  the  neighboring  field. 
At  this  early  period  of  my  lawn-planting  I  unfortunately 
gave  little  thought  to  the  quality  of  the  soil.  A  charming 
magazine  article  had  fallen  into  my  hands  and  completely 
fascinated  me  with  its  dainty,  fanciful  description  of  lilies 
grown  in  a  pond-hole  or  ditch.  It  all  seemed  so  easy  :  just 
a  few  water-plants  set  out  in  what  appeared  the  easiest  and 
simplest  fashion,  and  lo  !  you  had  a  feast  of  lilies  and  lily- 
pads.  The  plants  seemed  to  have  just  grown  themselves, 
like  Topsy  in  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin."  At  this  time  I  was 
greatly  impressed  with  the  idea  of  planting  the  lawn  with 
trees  and  shrubs  from  the  woods,  sweet  fern,  sumach, 


240  PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


sassafras,  dogwood,  red  cedar,  pepperidge,  hickory,  etc. 
Of  course,  such  plants  frequently  died,  and  if  they  did  live 
assumed  a  stunted  form.  As  an  old  farmer  of  the  neigh- 
borhood subsequently  expressed  it :  "  Well,  I  knowed 
them  things  you  set  out  would  die.  I  could  have  told  you 
beforehand  that  crowded  woods  plants  have  poor  roots. 
But  then,  you  would  n't  have  believed  me  if  I  had.  Your 
plants  just  up  and  died  because  a  full  dose  of  sunshine 
did  not  suit  their  shady  constitutions."  Considering  this 
mania,  you  will  not  be  surprised  to  hear  that  I  visited 
a  pond  in  the  woods  near  by  and  dug  up  and  transplanted 
to  my  own  pond  a  large  number  of  roots  of  white  water- 
lilies.  Other  water-plants  were  naturally  secured  subse- 
quently in  the  same  way.  I  need  hardly  say,  after  the 
above  remarks  of  the  farmer,  that  ray  water-lilies  did  not 
specially  thrive.  The  lily-roots  had  not  been  grown  for 
transplanting  and  were  not,  in  most  cases,  young  and 
thrifty,  and  the  soil  of  the  bottom  of  the  stream  or  pond 
was  not  rich  and  suited  to  water-plants.  However,  among 
the  numerous  water-plants  I  set  out,  many  lived.  They 
were  strung  along  a  straight,  monotonous  shore  that  I  had 
dug  out  to  a  line  to  secure  a  neat  appearance.  I  learned  in 
after  days  that  this  arrangement  was  about  as  bad  as  could 
be  imagined  from  a  good  lawn-planter's  standpoint.  The 
lilies  and  other  water-plants  grew  slowly  and  the  flowers 
were  small.  I  had  finally  to  acknowledge  that  my  lily-pond 
and  stream  was  not  a  success.  As  a  result  my  interest  in 
the  plantation  soon  flagged,  and  except  to  gather  a  few 
lilies  I  seldom  visited  it.  Weeds  sprung  up  to  its  surface 
and  drifted  material  made  it  untidy  and  unhealthy-looking. 


PONDS  AND  LAKES.  241 

Besides,  about  this  time  I  sold  this  country-place  and  so 
cannot  say  what  the  lily-pond  finally  became,  as  I  never 
revisited  it.  Much  like  any  natural  lily-pond  in  the  woods, 
I  fancy.  Returning  to  the  city,  I  continued  to  live  there 
most  of  the  time  for  several  years.  Yet  I  never  at  any 
time  wholly  lost  my  interest  in  lawn-planting.  Now  that  I 
had  no  country-place  to  absorb  my  attention,  I  went  about 
at  home  and  abroad  and  saw  how  other  people  succeeded 
and  failed  in  their  landscape-gardening  efforts.  An  impor- 
tant source  of  information  existed,  I  found,  in  the  different 
nurseries.  I  did  not  take  so  much  to  the  woods  now  as 
aforetime.  Concerning  the  construction  of  ponds  and 
streams  and  the  ornamentation  of  their  surface  with  aqua- 
tic plants,  I  did  not,  however,  secure  as  much  information 
as  I  had  hoped.  At  last,  one  day,  I  again  met  my  fate  and 
bought  another  country- place,  only  instead  of  a  hundred 
acres  as  before  it  now  contained  less  than  ten.  The  soil 
was  of  excellent  quality,  and  there  were  on  either  side 
of  the  house  some  grand  old  native  oak,  elm,  and  tulip 
trees,  and  I  planted  a  few  large  shrubs  on  the  outer  boun- 
daries. Paths  and  roads  there  were  none,  except  one  short 
carriage-sweep  leading  directly  from  the  house  to  the  high- 
way. Off  to  the  west  of  the  house  sloped  a  half-dozen 
acres  of  meadow  land,  the  rich  velvety  turf  of  which  had 
known  no  plough  for  half  a  century.  Sheep  and  cows  had 
pastured  it,  and  sometimes  it  had  been  mown.  I  mowed  it 
and  manured  it  too,  and  prided  myself  on  the  finest  lawn  to 
be  seen  in  the  county.  At  the  foot  of  the  slope  came  the 
feature  which  had  chiefly  induced  me  to  buy  the  place.  It 
was  a  broad  placid  stream  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  wide, 

16 


242 


PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


moving  quietly  down  to  a  small  neglected  mill-pond  that 
partially  abutted  my  property.  Across  this  stream  I  owned 
a  narrow  strip  of  land  only  an  acre  or  two  in  extent,  but 
enough  to  enable  me  to  control  the  treatment  of  both 

shores  of  the  stream. 
A  rustic  bridge  joined 
these  acres.  The  water 
was  shallow,  not  more 
than,  for  the  most  part^ 
two  or  three  feet  deep, 
and  the  grassy  slope 
extended  to  the  very 
edge.  It  was  a  brini- 
\  i  ming  sheet  of  water, 
sometimes  overflowing 
its  banks  several  feet 
up  the  steep  lawn  side. 
Here  was  my  chance, 
I  believed,  to  grow 
aquatic  plants  in  per- 
fection. I  proceeded 
at  once  to  study  the 
natural  conditions  of 
the  spot,  and  tried 
to  work  on  the  same 
lines  as  nature  had 
employed  in  this  small  territory  ever  since  the  dam  had 
been  built.  Where  the  force  of  the  stream  had  already 
managed  to  scoop  out  a  small  bay,  I  dug  it  still  farther 
inland.  In  other  words,  I  analyzed  the  forces  in  action 


GREEN-LEAVED  BAMBOO. 
(ARUNDO  DONAX.  ) 


PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


243 


aud  aided  and  abetted  their  inclinations.  If  grasses  and 
twigs  had  caught  on  a  small  projection  of  the  shore 
and  a  little  vegetation  had  sprung  up  and  soil  thus 
collected,  I  lengthened  and  broadened  the  projection  and 
planted  it  with  clumps  of  grasses,  such  as  flag,  bamboo, 
pampas  grass,  and  the  hardy 
Eulalia  Japonica.  Back  of 
these,  on  more  solid  ground,  I 
planted  a  willow  and  an  alder, 
with  some  irises,  and  tender 
cannas  and  caladiums  or 
elephant  ears.  I  was 
careful,  moreover,  to 
be  conservative  even 
in  this  natural  treat- 
ment of  my  shores. 
There  was  no  frequent 
repetition  of  the  prom- 
ontory and  bay  idea. 
At  only  a  few  points 
was  any  change  made 
in  the  original  line  of 
the  shore.  Such  changes 
as  I  did  make,  however, 
were  forcible  and  marked  and  carefully  adjusted  in  the  exact 
direction  and  angle  that  the  stream  would  be  likely  to  take 
when  it  worked  its  fantastic  way  before  a  rapid  current  or 
overflow.  Grasses  and  shrubs  suited  to  low  grounds,  of  the 
kinds  I  have  named,  were  scattered  in  small  groups  about 
the  points  running  back,  sometimes  quite  a  distance,  up  the 


PAMPAS  GRASS. 
(GYNERIUM  ARGENTEUM.) 


244  PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


bank.  In  the  midst  of  these  groups  grew  some  higher 
shrubs  or  small  trees  like  the  birch,  for  the  sake  of  empha- 
sizing the  effect  and  giving  variety  of  sky-line.  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  needlessly  technical,  but  if  you  could  see  the 
two  great  Lombardy  poplars,  forty  feet  high,  bordering  and 
making  a  frame,  as  it  were,  for  my  place, 
you  would  understand  what  I  mean  by 
emphasis.  Great  towers  of  green,  these 
poplars  seem  to  be  mounting  guard  over 
my  small  domain,  and  their  long  shadows 
at  sundown  reach  far  across  the  stream 
and  the  grass  of  the  meadow  beyond.  I 
am  not  going  to  apologize  for  my  pop- 
EULALIA  \sx&.  Thev  were  and  are  grand,  and  I  am 

proud  of  them.  Tree-experts  may  warn 
me  that  they  are  liable  to  borers  and  bark-lice,  and  that  they 
lose  their  leaves  early  in  the  season,  and  in  many  ways 
invite  the  use  of  the  axe.  It  may  be  so.  I  have  enjoyed 
them,  however,  for  a  number  of  years  and  they  are  entirely 
healthy  yet,  although  surely  a  score  of  years  in  age.  It  will 
be  a  long  time,  therefore,  before  an  axe  under  my  direction 
will  touch  them.  Even  the  tendency  to  lose  their  leaves 
early  in  the  season  would  not  induce  me  to  use  the  axe,  for 
their  lofty  spire-like  forms  dominate  everything  and  estab- 
lish that  variety  of  sky-line  so  much  to  be  desired  by  the 
lawn-planter.  Let  the  limbs  be  bare  and  the  trunk  scarred 
and  seamed  with  borers,  the  noble  outline  is  there,  and 
shrubs  and  small  trees  can  be  made  to  screen  the  lower  and 
generally  uglier  portions.  It  should  be  remembered  also, 
that  an  occasional  pruning,  as  the  years  go  on,  tends  greatly 
to  renew  and  perpetuate  the  poplar's  health  and  vigor. 


PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


245 


But,  the  reader  will  say,  where  is  the  lily-pond  ?  You 
have  told  us  about  your  lawn  with  its  stream  and  old  mill- 
pond,  but  where  are  your  lilies  ?  Well,  I  answer,  do  not  be 
in  a  hurry.  I  assure  you  if  I  had  not  selected  and  arranged 
my  lawn  and  water  properties  as  I  did,  the  lilies  I  might 
have  set  out  would  have  been  of  much  less  account  than 
they  are.  Remember  the  lilies  on  my  former  place.  In 


BORDER  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN,   UNION  SQUARE,   N!T.W  YORK.— LOTUSES  AND  WATER-LILIES. 

truth,  without  some  of  the  characteristics  of  my  present 
lawn  the  proper  setting  for  the  clustering  water-lily  gems 
would  have  been  absent.  And  think  what  a  setting  they 
had  now — great  poplars,  drooping  willows,  alders,  waving 
grasses,  purple  irises,  purple  marsh-mallows  growing  on  prom- 
ontories of  a  brimming  river  backed  by  a  sloping  bank  of 
rich  greensward.  In  the  coves,  chiefly,  of  my  stream  and 
pond  were  set  my  lily-jewels.  The  bottom  of  the  water 


240  PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


was  deepened  and  a  foot  of  soil,  not  in  spots  but  along  the 
entire  front,  was  replaced  by  the  richest  mixture  I  could 
make  of  mould  and  manure.  Pond-lilies  are  great  feeders, 
and  I  intended  to  give  them  the  best  chance  I  could  to 
look  their  prettiest.  For  the  Nelumbiums  or  lotuses  con- 
siderable clay  is  needed.  Fortunately,  my  soil  had  nat- 
urally plenty  of  clay.  I  used,  moreover,  other  kinds  of 
water-plants  besides  lilies,  and  some  of  them,  as  well  as 
certain  lilies,  were  tender,  coming  as  they  do  originally 
from  the  tropics. 

The  tender  ones  I  bought  anew  every  year,  at  a  moder- 
ate expense,  from  one  of  the  few  growers  in  America.  I 
may  have  expended  during  some  years  one  hundred  and 
even  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  but  it  was  a  small  sum 
compared  with  the  amount  necessary  to  keep  up  a  green- 
house fitted  with  suitable  tanks.  Water-lilies  and  aquatic 
plants  winter  badly  in  cellars.  They  are  easily  excited  to 
grow  by  a  little  excess  of  light  and  heat,  and  as  easily 
checked  and  injured  by  an  excess  of  cold.  Except  a  few 
kinds,  such  as  the  wonderful  blue  and  purple  water-lilies  of 
Zanzibar,  which  I  bought  yearly,  I  have  therefore  managed 
to  content  myself  writh  a  number  of  perfectly  hardy  aqua- 
tics, including  some  of  the  best  water-lilies  and  lotuses. 
Doubtless  the  biggest,  grandest,  and  most  effective  of  these 
was  the  lotus  Nelmnbium  speciosum.  This  plant  is  the 
greatest  feeder  of  all,  and  will  thrive  prodigiously  in  the 
richest,  rankest  mud  that  can  be  concocted.  It  will,  in 
fact,  crowd  out  most  other  plants,  and  should  be  thinned 
every  year  so  as  to  appear  in  clusters  and  not  in  monot- 
onous masses  extending  from  shore  to  shore.  This  Nelum- 


PONDS  AND  LAKES.  247 


biuni  is  widely  known  in  India  and  Japan  as  the  lotus,  and 
is  there  considered  sacred  and  is  freely  copied  in  their 
decorative  designs.  It  is  also  probably  the  lotus  of  ancient 

Egypt- 
Picture  for  yourself  a  pumpkin-leaf  erected   three  or 
four  feet  high  on  a  stem,  and  great  buds  that  look,  for  all 
the  world,  like  gigantic  tea-rose  buds,  and  you  will  have  a 


AN  ARRANGEMENT  OF  LOTUSES  AND  LILY-PADS. 

fair  idea  of  the  general  appearance  of  the  lotus.  Of  course, 
the  leaves  of  the  lotus  are  more  finely  veined  and  smoother 
and  more  shining  of  texture,  and  the  flowers  grander  and 
richer  in  tint  than  the  tea-rose  bud ;  but,  for  all  that,  the 
pumpkin-leaf  and  tea-rose  bud  comparison  is  a  suggestive 
one.  The  botanical  name  of  the  lotus,  Nelumlinm,  signify- 
ing a  rose  or  spray  of  a  watering-pot,  is  very  descriptive  of 
the  curious  seed-pod.  There  is  a  fine  Nelumbium,  native  to 


248 


PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


America,  a  yellow  lotus  with  excellent  foliage,  which  is 
found  in  one  or  two  places  in  New  Jersey,  but  which 
chiefly  abounds  in  Florida  and  other  Southern  and  Western 
States.  The  leaves  of  this  species  are  quite  as  noteworthy 
as  those  of  the  familiar  NelumUum  speciosum.  These  are 
often  two  feet  in  diameter. 


A  GROUP   OF  JAPANESE    LOTUSES. 
(NELUMBIUM  SPECIOSUM.) 


The  lotus  leaves  and  flowers  are  decorative  and  striking 
in  effect,  but  the  true  water-lilies,  the  NympJiceas,  are,  after 
all,  I  am  inclined  to  say,  the  best  ornamental  water-plants. 
Following  out  my  Lombard}'  poplar  idea  of  emphasis,  I 


PONDS  AND  LAKE^.  249 


used  many  lotuses  in  front  of  my  brook  and  pond  promon- 
tories. But  in  all  my  experiments  with  aquatic  plants  I 
never  chanced  on  any  pond-effects  quite  equal  to  that  of 
my  coves  of  Nymplueas  in  midsummer.  Fancy  a  quiet, 
mirror-like  surface  of  water,  studded  with  clustering  masses 
of  lily-pads,  enfolding  half-open  flowers,  nestling  yet  buoy- 
ant. Every  one  is  familiar  with  scenes  in  woodland  nooks 
resembling  this  in  kind.  The  remarkable  difference  on  my 
place  was  that  my  trees  and  shrubs,  grasses  and  flowers, 
came  to  the  water's  edge  and  were  mirrored  there,  and  that 
in  front  and  about  them  floated  and  were  reflected  lily -pads 
of  excellent  size  and  coloring.  The  flowers  also  of  these 
great  tropical  lilies  were  especially  large  and  richly  hued, 
some  species  being  pure  white,  others  red,  and  still  others 
purple  and  deep  blue.  I  have  had  these  water-lilies  and 
other  water-plants  growing  on  my  place  now  for  several 
years,  but  I  confess  that,  even  at  the  present  time,  familiar 
as  they  are  to  me,  when  I  look  at  one  of  these  blue  lilies  on 
an  early  summer  morning  I  am  impressed  with  the  scene  as 
an  absolute  revelation  of  beauty,  a  landscape  feature  posi- 
tively unique. 

I  am  not  going,  on  this  occasion,  to  give  an  account  of 
all  the  aquatic  plants  I  grow.  I  have  the  tender  Pontederia 
crassipeSj  a  floating  plant  with  curious  orchid-like  purple 
flowers,  water-poppies,  pitcher-plants,  cat-tails,  and  a  score 
of  other  species  and  varieties  that  I  shall  not  enumerate. 
All  these  kinds  of  water-plants  doubtless  add  greatly  to 
the  attractions  of  decorative  waters,  but,  after  all,  it  is  the 
lotuses  and  lilies,  or  lilies  and  lotuses,  not  giving  the  prece- 
dence to  either,  that  every  one  ought  to  want.  Having 


250  PONDS  AND  LAKES. 

once  had  them,  any  decorative  piece  of  water  without  them 
will  seem  almost  uninteresting,  no  matter  what  other  water- 
plants  are  employed. 

Let  me  say  here,  before  I  forget,  that  spaces  of  clear 
surface  among  water-plants,  with   undisturbed  reflections, 
are  particularly  necessary  to  secure  the  best  effects.     The 
whole  surface  of  the  pond  should  be  no  more  covered  up 
with  water-lilies  than  fine  rocks  should 
be  completely  masked  with  climbing 
vines. 

To  explain  to  the  reader  which  are 
the  tender  and  which  are  the  hardy 
kinds  would  be  a  lengthy  task, 
,  and  I  must  refer  him  to  the 
nearest  nurseryman  who  grows 
aquatics.       Better    not     grow 
many    tender  plants,  would 
1*    be  my  advice  to  the  ordinary 
amateur  lawn-planter. 

The  success  of  this  treat- 
ment of  my  stream  certainly 
affords  me  great  pleasure, 
and  I  need  hardly  say  I  am 
proud  of  it.  It  has,  however,  done  more  than  that.  One 
or  two  of  my  neighbors  are,  I  see,  already  following  my 
example,  with  promising  results.  In  the  village,  also,  near 
by,  there  is  a  fountain,  and  in  the  basin  I  have  persuaded 
the  authorities  to  arrange  some  boxes  of  lilies  and  lotuses 
renewed  every  year  with  purchased  plants,  and  in  place  of 
a  great  iron  Neptune,  painted  white  and  surrounded  by  white 


AN   ARRANGEMENT  OF  WATER-LILIES 
AND   PAPYRUS. 


PONDS  AND  LAKES.  251 


iron  cherubs  spouting  little  jets  of  water,  a  graceful  spray 
effect  has  been  introduced.  Water-lilies  and  lotuses  lend 
themselves  charmingly  to  the  decoration  of  fountain  basins, 
especially  if  they  are  used  in  moderation  and  do  not  cover 
up  more  than  a  fair  half  of  the  entire  surface  of  the  water. 

Before  closing  this  account  of  my  experience  in  growing 
water-plants,  I  must  refer  to  the  introduction  of  water-lilies 
and  lotuses  in  the  parks  of  New  York.  Some  four  years 
since,  a  year  or  two  after  I  became  Superintendent  of 
Parks,  my  mind  was  turned,  as  well  as  that  of  my  assist- 
ants, to  the  subject  of  growing  lilies  in  the  Central  and 
city  parks.  AVe  knew  they  had  been  grown  to  a  limited 
extent  in  Fairmouut  Park,  Philadelphia,  and  conceived  the 
idea  of  using  them  largely  in  New  York. 

At  first  we  bought  a  considerable  number,  say  five 
hundred  dollars'  worth,  from  Mr.  Sturtevant,  of  Borden- 
town,  N.  J.,  the  father  of  water-lily  culture  in  America. 
For  the  last  two  years,  however,  we  have  bought  little  and 
propagated  much,  so  that  at  present  we  have  an  abundance. 
We  have  tanks  constructed  in  the  green-houses,  where,  by 
means  of  high  bottom-heat,  we  can  grow  the  most  tender 
aquatic  plants.  Our  most  ambitious,  if  not  our  earliest 
attempt,  was  the  construction  of  a  lily-pond.  In  Central 
Park  we  have  nothing  like  the  stream  and  pond  effect 
on  my  own  place,  and  we  found  that  it  would  be  neces- 
sary to  treat  our  lakes  in  a  larger  and  more  expensive 
way.  As  a  first  essay  we  dug  out  a  pond  close  by,  and 
forming  as  it  were  part  of,  what  is  termed  Conservatory 
Lake,  just  north  of  the  gate  at  72d  Street  and  Fifth 
Avenue.  The  general  shape  of  this  pond  was  oval,  with 


252 


PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


winding,  irregular  shores,  bounded  by  a  high  bank  on 
the  east  side  and  a  great  willow  drooping  over  the  north 
end.  Kocks  were  disposed  in  the  immediate  banks,  so  as 
to  suggest  a  natural  formation  rather  than  an  artificial 
pond.  The  bottom,  scarcely  three  feet  deep,  was  cemented 
tight  as  a  cup,  and  the  water  flowed  gently  in  at  one  end 

and  out  at  the 
other,  and  so 
through  a 
basin  into  the 
sewer.  Eigh- 
teen inches  of 
soil  was  made 
rich  with  ma- 
nure and  de- 
posited over 
the  bottom. 
This  soil  was 
renewed  more 
or  less  every 
year.  Masses 
of  flowering 
shrubs  a  n  d 
small  trees, 

such  as  the  hydrangea,  Spircea  opultfolia,  and  purple  beech 
and  birch  formed  a  background  of  foliage  on  the  steep 
hillside  sloping  up  to  Fifth  Avenue.  The  lotuses  (N. 
speciosum)  in  this  pond  were  disposed  in  a  solid  mass 
at  the  north  end  along  the  steepest  banks.  There  the 
observer  can  look  down  and  see  them  mirrored  on  the  surface 


THE  CENTRE  OF  THE  FOUNTAIN, 
UNION  SQUARE. 


PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


253 


of  the  water  in  the  most  effective  way.  Masses  of  the  large 
hardy  white  lily  ( 'JV.  alba  candidissima),  and  the  beautiful 
little  white  one  ( N.  pygrmBa),  the  size  of  a  half  dollar,  the 
Cape  Cod  pink  lily,  and  several  other 
kinds  grow  permanently  in  the  mud  of 
the  bottom.  Tender  ones,  like 


BETHESDA   FOUNTAIN    BASIN 
CENTRAL  PARK. 


the  blue  and  red  varieties 

r-  CN.  Devoniensis,  -N.  Zauzi- 

•<  m$& .  '  ' 

larensis  azurea  and  roseaj,  are 
planted  in  boxes  filled  with  rich  compost   and 
removed  to  the  park  greenhouses  every  year.     The  season  to 
enjoy  this  pond  at  its  best  is  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing,— later  than  this  the  heat  of  the  sun  gradually  closes 


254  PONDS  AND  LAKES. 


many  of  the  blossoms,  and  earlier  tban  nine  some  of  the  kinds 
have  not  yet  opened  their  flowers.  A  sight  of  this  pond  in 
August  and  early  in  September  is  worth  a  considerable  jour- 
ney to  see ;  and  hardly  less  effective  are  the  lotuses  and  lily 
plantations  in  boxes  to  be  seen  in  the  great  fountain-basin 
at  the  Terrace. 

Yet  probably  more  effective,  and  certainly  more  attrac- 
tive, on  account  of  location,  is  the  Union  Square  fountain, 
with  its  beautiful  spray  of  water  and  vigorous  water-plants, 
and  in  addition  its  outside  collar  of  red  alternanthera  sward, 
planted  with  islands  of  geraniums.  By  electric  light  in  the 
evening,  or  in  the  early  morning  sunlight,  the  effect  of  these 
lily-pads  and  lotus-leaves  bedewed  with  globules  of  water 
is  magical.  Half  a  dozen,  in  fact,  about  all  the  fountain- 
basins  in  down-town  New  York  are  treated  in  this  manner, 
and  at  almost  any  time  before  midnight,  scores  of  people 
are  gathered  about  them  enjoying  the  beauties  of  the  lilies 
and  lotuses — nor,  as  the  years  go  on,  does  the  interest  in 
them  seem  to  flag.  Indeed,  among  all  decorations  for 
architectural  structures  where  a  pool  of  water  can  be  in- 
troduced, I  believe  there  is  nothing  that  can  excel  the  lily 
and  lotus.  So  confident  am  I  of  this,  that  I  believe  the 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  no  fountain-basin  will  be 
considered  completely  equipped  without  them.  In  Central 
Park  we  have  already  begun  to  plant  the  shores  extensively 
with  them.  At  present  this  applies  especially  to  the  Pool  at 
100th  Street  and  Eighth  Avenue.  There  is  a  good  deal  of 
labor  required  in  the  preparation  of  rich  soil  on  the  shores, 
but  we  hope,  nevertheless,  in  a  few  years  to  have  our  lakes  as 
well  stocked  with  lilies  and  lotuses  as  our  fountain-basins. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

LAWN-PLANTING    FOR    SMALL    PLACES. 


HE  word  home  has  a  pleasant  sound. 
Indeed,  one  of  the  best  signs  of 
the  times  is  a  growing  regard  for 
home  adornment.  Practical  con- 
siderations of  simple  comfort  and 
show  have  long  receded  too  ex- 
clusive attention  ;  but  as  we  settle 
down  more  and  more  into  a  mature 

nation,  the  pleasantness  of  home  gains  in  importance.  In 
other  words,  our  homes  are  becoming  more  characteristic, 
because  we  are  learning  duly  to  esteem  and  study  them. 
They  picture  more  truly  the  mind  of  the  occupant  or 
owner,  because  the  occupant  or  owner  is  becoming  more 
truly  their  architect  and  creator. 

Doubtless  fashion  attracts  many  to  this  work,  and 
makes  vague  enthusiasm  the  impelling  motive,  rather  than 
love  of  art.  But  such  motives  or  impulses  are  not  alto- 
gether deplorable.  Societies  for  the  encouragement  of 
decorative  art  flourish  and  grow  strong.  Hard  times  de- 

255 


256  LA  WN-PLANT1NG 


velop  latent  talent  that  would  have  otherwise  lain  fallow  ; 
and  all  things  conspire  to  favor  the  advancement  of  home 
art.  Then  how  home-like  and  refined  and  beautiful  this 
work  is  making  our  houses  !  We  may  be  very  superficial 
nowadays, — very  much  inclined  to  run  about  the  world ; 
but  surely  our  fathers,  with  all  their  domestic  virtues, 
never  had  such  lovely  homes.  Pretty  devices  in  furniture, 
hangings,  and  a  hundred  simple  things  are  noticeable  every- 
where as  the  work  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the 
house.  Native  taste,  genius,  association,  and  instinctive 
imitation,  all  combine  to  develop  the  true  home  artist. 
Yet  models  we  must  have,  and  principles  we  must  recog- 
nize, and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  most  excellent 
work  is  done  without  conscious  application  of  principles. 
Query :  Does  not  this  unconscious  application  of  principles 
partake  of  the  nature  of  genius  ?  Let  it  be  what  it  may, 
however,  ordinary  mortals,  in  their  artistic  struggles,  are 
greatly  helped  by  a  few  practical  rules.  Confiding  in  this 
belief,  we  ask  a  similar  interest  in  both  principles  and  prac- 
tice of  a  definite,  though  not  generally  accepted,  species  of 
home  art.  We  assert,  in  other  words,  that  home  art  should 
not  confine  itself  within  doors,  but  should  exert  its  influ- 
ence on  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  house.  Some 
of  the  most  delightful  hours  of  home  life  are  spent  on  the 
piazza  or  lawn.  It  is,  moreover,  a  pleasant  hospitality  that 
offers  attractions  on  the  lawn  to  the  passer-by.  But  the 
sovereign  difficulty  that  stands  in  the  way  of  good  lawn- 
planting,  and  especially  of  good  lawn-planting  for  small 
places,  is  a  widespread  ignorance  of  lawn-plants.  Numer- 
ous streets  and  shops  offer  instructive  lessons  to  the  decor- 


FOR  SMALL  PLACES.  257 


ator  of  the  house  and  its  contents.  Hundreds  of  homes 
present  tasteful  examples  of  artistic  work  of  many  kinds. 
The  study  of  lawn-planting,  however,  seems  strangely  neg- 
lected. Yet  why  is  it  ?  Are  there  no  profitable  examples 
to  be  found  in  parks  or  private  grounds  ?  And  if  there 
are,  why  do  not  people  study  them  ? 

There  are  doubtless  many  who  visit  or  communicate 
with  such  places,  but  how  is  it  generally  done  ?  If  they 
visit,  they  do  it  hastily  and  learn  little.  If  they  communi- 
cate, it  is  to  ask  about  some  plant  which  has  struck  their 
fancy.  Whether  it  suits  any  position  on  their  grounds 
they  do  not  consider,  and  perhaps  do  not  care.  In  like 
manner  parks  are  looked  over.  They  are  but  seldom 
studied.  Now,  if  we  are  to  have  good  work,  the  workman, 
or  at  least  the  deviser  of  the  work,  must  know  his  mate- 
rial. You  see,  we  are  assuming  that  the  lawn-planter  of 
small  places  is  also  the  owner.  Seldom,  indeed,  can  the 
owner  of  any  small  place  afford  a  gardener  of  taste  and 
knowledge ;  and  the  charm,  moreover,  of  this  peculiar  spe- 
cies of  work  is  its  unprofessional  character.  It  must  have 
originality,  variety,  and  no  hackneyed  forms,  if  it  is  to  be 
of  the  best  type.  We  hesitate,  therefore,  to  fix  anything 
like  arbitrary  rules,  for  fear  they  may  be  misunderstood 
and  adhered  to  slavishly.  Yet  there  are  practical  consider- 
ations and  desirable  artistic  results  growing  out  of  the 
nature  of  plants  that  necessitate  the  use  of  rules.  We 
cannot,  of  course,  properly  treat"  of  the  habits  of  plants  in 
a  short  chapter,  nor  of  all  the  rules  that  govern  their  employ- 
ment on  small  places.  Nevertheless,  it  will  be  our  endeavor 

to  set  forth  intelligibly  a  few  important  suggestions  concern- 
17 


258  LA  WN-PLANTING. 

ing  work  of  this  kind.  We  may  illustrate  them  also  by  ap- 
plying them  to  ordinary  grounds.  Lawn-planting  for  small 
places,  as  we  propose  it  for  popular  employment,  is  a  simple 
harmonious  arrangement  for  the  exhibition  of  individual 
plants.  No  one  need  fear,  either,  that  the  application  of  this 
principle  will  mar  the  effect  of  properly  constructed  masses. 

Broad  mass  effect  cannot  be  obtained  satisfactorily,  and 
therefore  individual  beauties  must  be  emphasized  in  the 
selection  and  disposition  of  plants. 

One  of  the  most  important  considerations  in  planting  a 
lot  in  this  case  as  well  as  in  others,  is  the  disposition  of 
shrubbery  and  trees  about  the  lawn  in  a  way  that  will 
secure  single,  open  spaces  of  turf.  These  groups  of  shrub- 
bery or  trees  should  be  arranged  on  the  more  prominent 
curves  of  walks  about  entrance  gates,  or  the  outer 
boundaries  of  the  place.  The  object  in  view  will  be  partly 
to  secure  the  above-mentioned  open  spaces  of  turf,  but 
chiefly  to  vary  the  effects  and  produce  sudden,  unexpected 
beautiful  features.  We  should  also  seek  to  convey  the 
idea  that  the  path  leads  through  the  midst  of  a  natural 
and  picturesque  group.  These  devices  and  the  creation  of 
miniature  vistas  will  tend  to  give  the  place  an  appearance 
of  greater  size  than  is  actually  the  case.  It  need  scarcely 
be  said  that  the  curves  of  all  the  walks  should  be  easy  and 
flowing.  Our  sense  of  the  graceful  requires  it,  and  practi- 
cal experience  proves  its  correctness.  A  horse,  when  tak- 
ing the  wagon  directly  to  a  given  point  without  special 
guidance,  always  follows  these  long,  easy  curves.  Indeed, 
the  Inexperienced  driver  is  often  bothered  by  the  short 
curves  of  a  circular  road. 


260  LA  WN-PLA NTING 


A  comparatively  general  principle  is  always  to  employ 
rhododendrons,  hardy  azaleas,  Japanese  maples,  and  other 
choice  dwarf  evergreen  and  deciduous  shrubs  directly  about 
the  house  or  on  the  walks  near  by.  About  the  outskirts  of 
the  lawn,  the  entrance  gates,  and  junction  of  paths,  may 
be  massed  the  larger-growing  shrubbery  and  trees,  if  your 
door-yard  is  large  enough  to  have  any.  They  will  serve  to 
frame  in  the  landscape,  or  to  shut  out  undesirable  views. 
We  refer,  of  course,  to  medium-sized  places  of  an  acre 
or  less.  Within  the  skirting  plantations  of  such  places, 
few,  if  any,  trees  of  large  size  should  be  used.  Indeed,  two 
or  three  elms,  oaks,  or  lindens  will  come  in  time  to  occupy 
large  sections  of  what  should  be  entirely  open  space.  Trees 
in  great  number,  moreover,  tend  to  make  the  plot  look  small 
and  monotonous  and  the  turf  moss-grown  and  sparse.  A 
few  second-class  trees,  here  and  there,  if  the  place  is  large 
enough,  relieve  and  enrich  the  lawn  without  interfering  Avith 
the  effect  of  larger  shrubbery.  Large  trees  may  be  allowed 
at  intervals  on  the  extreme  corners  and  outer  boundaries, 
should  the  place  be  say  half  an  acre  in  extent,  to  frame  in 
the  picture  and  diversify  the  contours  and  sky-line  of  ex- 
terior shrub  groups.  Sanitary  conditions  likewise  demand 
a  similar  arrangement. 

The  position  of  the  house  also  requires  study.  If  space 
and  full  effect  are  desired,  and  no  local  peculiarities  bar, 
it  should  be  placed  on  one  side  so  as  to  mass  in  a  single 
lawn  as  much  land  as  possible.  This  will  broaden  and 
enlarge  generally  the  effect  of  the  place.  All  fences  should 
be  screened  more  or  less  with  shrubbery  or  hedges,  although 
the  last,  as  generally  used,  are  formal  and  therefore  objec- 


FOR  SMALL  PLACES.  261 

tionable.  Furthermore,  few,  if  any,  architectural  adornment, 
such  as  statues,  vases,  etc.,  should  be  allowed.  They  are 
pretentious,  artificial,  and  not  in  keeping  with  a  natural 
style  of  the  best  landscape  gardening.  In  the  highly 
artificial  gardenesque  or  geometric  style  they  have,  of 
course,  their  place,  but  of  this  we  do  not  speak,  as  it  is  ill 
fitted  for  small  rural  homes.  Summer-houses,  gates  and 
arbors,  rockwork  and  waterfalls  (the  last  two  in  secluded 
nooks,  if  at  all),  must  be  employed  in  the  places  under 
consideration  to  give  whatever  variety  is  desired  other  than 
trees  and  grass. 

Another  special  point  to  be  studied  is  the  preservation 
of  pleasing  views,  or  vistas,  in  neighboring  grounds.  They 
may  be  framed  in  with  attractive  groups,  which  may  at  the 
same  time  plant  out  disagreeable,  ungraceful  objects.  Pro- 
vide, at  least,  one  open  range  or  view  throughout  the 
greatest  depth  of  the  lot,  but  not  exactly  through  the 
centre  line.  A  line,  for  instance,  from  the  middle  of  the 
end  adjoining  the  public  road  to  the  extreme  corner  in 
the  rear  is  more  desirable  than  several  short  vistas.  This 
device  tends  greatly  to  increase  the  sense  of  novelty  and 
distance,  and  lessens  any  apparent  stiffness. 

If  the  division  fence  must  bo  kept  up  between  adjoining 
lots,  and  no  common  lawn  used,  this  fence  should  be  also 
adorned  with  deciduous  and  evergreen  trees  and  shrubs. 
These  may  be  planted,  if  desired,  at  intervals  to  retain 
attractive  glimpses  and  vistas  as  above  suggested. 

In  all  groups  which  define  boundaries  of  the  place, 
special  care  should  be  taken  to  avoid  uniform  horizon 
lines.  Vary  them  with  a  few  spire-like  trees  and  shrubs 


LA  WN-PLANTING 


now  and  then — birches  and  cypresses,  Tamarix  Indica  and 
Hibiscus  Syriacus, — which  should  also  mark  informally 
the  corners  of  the  lot,  and  complete,  as  it  were,  the  frame 
of  the  picture.  What  we  mean  by  informally  is  an  avoid- 
ance of  regular  intervals  or  geometric  arrangement. 

As  a  rule,  also,  never  plant  a  large,  dark  evergreen  in 
front  of,  and  mixed  with,  a  lot  of  brilliant,  light-colored,  de- 
ciduous trees,  for  thus  planted  it  will  dwarf  and  weaken  the 
effect  of  the  latter.  On  some  lawns  of  good  size,  however, 
a  few  massive  dark  evergreens  may  be  used  with  effect  in 
the  extreme  and,  if  possible,  northwest  corner  of  the  lot. 
They  will  protect  and  give  character  to  the  place,  and 
heighten  the  effect  of  the  deciduous  trees.  A  striking 
contrast  may  be  obtained  by  interspersing  a  few  white 
birches  among,  and  in  front  of,  these  evergreens.  They 
will  serve,  in  this  case,  to  brighten  the  picture  both  winter 
and  summer, — though  usually  I  prefer  not  to  mix  ever- 
green and  deciduous  trees.  This  harmonious  and  contrast- 
ing disposition  of  color  requires  careful  study,  and  even 
perhaps  a  natural  gift.  For  instance,  it  is  better  to  intro- 
duce gay,  bright  colors  in  well-judged  proportions.  A  few 
bright  flowers  of  deep  red,  blue,  or  yellow,  will  have  a 
better  effect  dispersed  here  and  there  about  the  lawns  than 
in  one  great  mass.  Introduce  them,  so  that  by  means  of 
their  different  natures  there  will  be  always  during  the 
season  a  few  gay  points  in  the  picture. 

The  turf  borders  of  walks  must  present  a  true  curve,  and 
both  sides  be  on  n  level.  Their  height  should  not  be  more 
than  two  inches  or  less  than  one.  Great  depth  of  border 
utterly  destroys  the  effect  of  a  walk. 


FOR  SMALL  PLACES. 


263 


Lawns  generally — for  we  will  say  this  much  of  grading 
— should  never  be  reduced  to  a  perfect  level.  They  should 
be  raised  in  the 
centre,  or  the  sur- 
face be  given  the 
appearance  of  a  hol- 
low. The  side  lawn 
should  generally  as- 
sume a  more  or  less 
slight  incline  tow- 
ard the  division 
fence.  The  rear 
lawn,  if  there  is 
any  of  considerable 
relative  size,  should 
be  graded,  if  pos- 
sible, in  like  manner 
with  the  front.  Of 
course,  special  con- 
ditions will  vary 
any  such  rules. 
Their  simple  ob- 
ject is  to  increase  — 

the     variety,     and 4g£ 

thereby  produce  a 
more  pleasing  and 
natural  effect.  All 
this,  moreover, 
gives  the  place  a  larger  and  more  picturesque  appear- 
ance. In  offering  these  few  principles  of  an  art  capable  of 


Jlaad 
SUGGESTIONS  FOR  LAWN-PLANTINQ. 

LARGE  LAWN  TREES;  2,  TREES  OF  MODERATE  GROWTHS)  3,  DECIDUOUS 
SHRUBS  OF  MODERATE  GROWTHS  J  4,  RARE  AND  DWARF  DECIDUOUS  AND 
EVERGREEN  SHRUBS  J  7,  EVERGREEN  TREES.  LARGE  SHRUBS  EIGHT  FEET 
APART,— SMALL  SHRUBS  FOUR  FEET  APART, — HEDGE  PLANTS  TWO  FEET 
APART.  RULES  TO  BE  VARIED  SOMEWHAT,  ACCORDING  TO  THE  NATURE  OF 
THE  PLANT  USED. 


264  LA  WN-PLANTING 


producing  so  many  diversified  effects,  I  have  endeavored 
to  be  sufficiently  intelligible  to  secure  their  easy  application. 
My  language,  however,  may  necessarily  lack  sometimes  in 
clearness  and  picturesque  force.  I  therefore  present  a  design 
which  fairly  illustrates  the  simpler  forms  of  lawn-planting 
as  it  should  be  exercised  on  small  lots. 

The  first  point  that  has  been,  and  must  always  be,  care- 
fully studied  is  the  location  of  the  house  in  such  manner  as 
to  keep  as  much  of  the  lawn  together  as  possible.  Here  the 
house  is  placed  as  it  should  be,  near  one  side.  If  feasible, 
it  should  also  be  on  the  north  or  west  of  the  lot,  thereby 
securing  the  better  protection  for  shrubs  and  flowers. 

Immediately  about  the  house  may  be  gathered  singly,  or 
in  groups,  rare  and  choice  deciduous  and  evergreen  shrub- 
bery, such  as  hydrangeas,  hardy  azaleas,  Japanese  maples, 
and  the  many  beautiful  dwarf  conifers.  These  should  be 
so  arranged  as  to  produce  the  most  varied  and  favorable 
effect  of  color  and  form  of  which  the  plants  are  capable.  It 
is  usually  necessary  to  thus  retain  only  low-growing  plants 
close  to  the  house,  for  in  this  way  only  can  the  full  archi- 
tectural effect  of  the  structure  be  secured.  The  exquisite 
and  delicate  attractions  of  choice  plants  demand  also  a  posi- 
tion near  the  house  where  they  can  be  easily  seen.  Any 
curve  of  the  paths  nearly  adjoining  a  building  may  be  thus 
ornamented,  for  the  small  size  of  the  plants  will  leave  all 
views  and  vistas  as  seen  from  the  house  unobstructed, — 
quite  as  important  a  point  to  be  looked  after  as  the  proper 
exhibition  of  the  architectural  effect  of  the  house.  It  will 
be  therefore  noticed  that  even  the  less  immediate  neighbor- 
hood of  the  house  is  left  unplanted  with  large-sized  shrubs 
or  even  second-class  trees.  The  main  feature  of  the  place 


FOR  SMALL  PLACES. 


must  evidently  be  the  house,  and  therefore  in  devising 
prominent  vistas  and  near  or  distant  views  we  must  take 
our  stand  at  or  not  far  from  this  point.  Minor  standpoints 
may  of  course  be  taken  when  s'ome  special  effect  is  desired. 
Failure  to  contrive  the  landscape  grouping  from  these 
established  standpoints  often  weakens  if  it  does  not  spoil 
lawn-planting,  which  is  otherwise  good  and  effective. 

The  curves  of  the  walks  or  foot-paths  are  long  and  easy, 
reaching  their  destination  in  a  natural  and  pleasing  manner. 
All  the  junctions  of  paths  and  the  main  curves  are  planted 
with  shrubbery  in  an  irregular  and  informal  manner. 
Furthermore,  they  are  usually  arranged  with  a  view  to 
suggesting  the  idea  that  the  path  is  winding  through  single 
masses  of  flowers.  It  is  not  proposed  in  this  plan  to  reserve 
any  space  for  a  vegetable  garden,  not  only  for  want  of  room, 
but  because  it  is  notorious  that  vegetables  thus  grown  are 
very  expensive  and  troublesome.  If  exercise  in  gardening 
pursuits  is  desired,  the  same  amount  and  a  similar  kind  of 
work  may  be  had  in  the  culture  of  trees  and  shrubs  as  in 
that  of  vegetables  with  more  generally  satisfactory  results. 
All  necessary  objects,  not  interesting  in  a  picturesque  way, 
such  as  drying-ground,  entrance  to  the  rear  of  buildings, 
tool-sheds,  etc.,  should  be  shut  out  with  deciduous  shrubs. 
The  front  of  these  hedges  or  belts  of  shrubbery  may  be 
diversified  by  planting  here  and  there  occasional  choice 
specimens. 

The  extreme  end  of  the  grounds  may  be  also  entered, 
if  desired,  by  a  path  which  should  wind  among  shrubbery 
in  somewhat  obscure  fashion,  and  come  out  suddenly  on 
the  lawn.  The  approach  or  entrance  to  the  house  is,  in 
this  case,  somewhat  formal  and  straight,  for  the  sake  of 


266  LA  WN-PLANTING 

convenience,  which  must  at  times  overrule  considerations 
of  beauty.  It  is  well  planted  with  shrubbery,  however,  to 
relieve  all  stiffness  and  vaiy  the  straight  line.  This  system 
also  introduces  the  pleasant  element  of  surprise,  as  the  full 
effect  of  the  lawn  is  only  presented  after  the  place  has  been 
fairly  entered.  Flowing,  graceful  lines,  with  one  exception, 
are  retained  everywhere,  especially  in  the  vistas  that  extend 
off  to  the  full  depth  of  the  lot.  On  the  most  extended  side, 
the  vista  takes  a  slanting  direction  across  a  croquet-ground, 
reached  by  a  winding  path  and  fronted  by  a  summer-house 
in  the  extreme  corner.  This  simple,  inexpensive  rustic 
structure — shown  in  the  lawn-planting  study — looks  out 
toward  the  house  over  the  croquet-ground,  down  the  most 
attractive  vista  of  the  place.  About  it  should  climb 
vines,  honeysuckles,  etc.,  and  some  flowering  shrubs.  The 
entire  feature  is  finely  crowned  and  perfected  by  associat- 
ing with  it  a  slender,  drooping,  cut-leaved  birch,  with  tender 
gray  or  light-green  foliage  and  gleaming  white  bark.  It  will 
thus  form  one  of  the  corner  posts,  or  prominent  points  that 
define  the  outline  of  the  picture,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
constitute  a  most  interesting  and  picturesque  termination 
for  a  walk.  One  such  feature  is  almost  enough  for  a  small 
place.  Architecture  should  be  confined,  as  a  rule,  to  the 
house  structure,  and  the  lawn  devoted  to  plants.  Even 
rock  work,  except  in  peculiar  spots,  lias  hardly  a  place  on 
any  small  lawn,  for  reasons  that  should  be  obvious.  What- 
ever portion  of  the  summer-house  appears  from  among  the 
vines  and  surrounding  foliage  is  intended  to  show  a  rustic, 
graceful,  and  solid  structure.  Simple  rustic  seats  may,  of 
course,  be  erected  in  suitable  positions,  but  should  not  be 
made  architecturally  prominent.  As  a  rule,  however,  chairs 


FOR  SMALL  PLACES. 


267 


may  be  carried  from  the  porch  or  veranda  to  any  spot  on  so 
small  a  place.  The  planting  on  the  walks  directly  fronting 
the  summer-house  should  be  made  specially  attractive  by 
the  employment  of  choice  and  dwarf  trees  and  shrubs. 
The  simple  design  of  using  a  summer-house  at  all,  has  been 
to  increase,  Avithin  safe  limits,  the  pictur- 
esque effect  of  the  place,  and  to  lend  j 
that  portion  of  the  scene  a  cosey,  home- 
like aspect.  Indeed,  we  have  sought  to 
give  the  entire  place  a  similar 
natural  appearance.  Good  lawn- 
planting  should  make  it  look, 
not  as  if  it  had  been  constructed 
in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  term, 
but  as  if  it  had 
grown  there,  out  of 
the  special  needs 
of  the  plants  and 
of  those  expect- 
ing to  enjoy  them. 
Please  note  that 
we  make  most 
prominent  the 
necessities  of  the 
plant.  They  must 
receive  first  atten- 
tion, when  the 
best  effects  will  follow  in  due  course.  Landscape  archi- 
tects are,  perhaps,  liable  to  fall  into  the  habit  of  regard- 
ing plants  as  they  would  bricks  or  stones.  An  edifice 
of  landscape  architecture  cannot  be  erected  exactly  as  one 


A  STUDY  FOR  LAWN-PLANTING. 


o68  LA  WN-PL ANTING 


chooses.  Plants  have  their  freaks  and  peculiarities  in 
different  positions,  which  even  practical  experience  can 
scarcely  foresee. 

Beware  of  using  on  small  places  large-growing  trees,  and 
even  on  the  outer  boundary  employ  them  sparsely.  All 
such  trees,  like  the  Norway  spruce  or  white  pine,  become 
in  a  few  years,  independent  of  their  crowding  mass,  more  or 
less  unsightly  for  limited  inclosures  and  necessarily  close 
inspection.  There  should  be  an  exact  proportion  between 
the  size  of  a  place  and  the  eventual  size — say  in  ten  years — 
of  all  plants  used  for  ornamenting  it.  For  this  reason,  the 
rapid-growing,  deciduous  shrubs,  with  their  wonderful 
variety  of  foliage  and  flowers  and  their  moderate  growth, 
are  well  adapted  for  small  places.  They  not  only  attain 
moderate  size,  but  can  be  duly  restrained  for  many  years 
by  pruning.  There  are,  also,  many  beautiful  dwarf  ever- 
green trees  and  shrubs  well  suited  for  lawn-planting  on  a 
small  scale.  Indeed,  such  plants  may  be  kept,  by  pruning 
both  root  and  branches  intelligently,  within  a  height  of 
five  feet  for  near  a  score  of  years. 

It  seems  almost  absurd  to  say  that  ornamental  plants  in 
their  entire  variety  and  special  aptitudes  for  lawn-planting 
should  be  carefully  studied  by  the  lawn-planter.  Never- 
theless, many  so-called  experts  seem  to  lose  sight  of  the 
fact.  With  knowledge,  however,  and  a  cultivated  taste, 
most  delightful  results  can  be  obtained  on  a  small  lot 
by  an  outlay  ranging  from  one  hundred  dollars  to  three 
hundred  dollars,  depending  on  the  amount  of  choice  plants 
used.  Grading  and  fences  are  considerations  governed 
by  special  conditions,  and  cannot,  therefore,  be  taken  into 


FOR  SMALL  PLACES.  269 

a  general  and  typical  estimate.  This  hardly  seems  an 
extravagant  sum  to  devote  to  the  exterior  adornment  of 
a  home  that  has  probably  cost  at  least  $4,000  for  the 
building,  and  $2,000  more  for  a  simple  and  tasteful  fur- 
nishing. The  general  impression  is  widely  spread  abroad 
that  the  accomplishment  of  artistic  effects  in  lawn-planting 
on  small  places,  if  possible  at  all,  must  be  expensive  and 
elaborate.  Perhaps  the  idea  comes  from  the  fact  that  our 
parks  and  grand  show  places  afford  almost  the  only  in- 
stances of  artistic  lawn-planting,  and  they,  of  course,  are 
expensive.  The  lawn-planting  efforts,  moreover,  of  the 
jobbing  gardener  or  owner  of  the  place,  are  generally  crude 
and  based  on  no  settled  principles  of  art.  It  is  this,  per- 
haps, that  gains  credence  for  the  belief  that  landscape 
gardening,  as  a  picturesque  art,  is  not  only  expensive,  but 
does  not  suit  small  places.  People  may  not  state  such 
ideas  definitely  to  themselves ;  but  they  clearly  demon- 
strate, by  practice,  a  conscious  or  unconscious  belief  in 
their  truth. 

It  has  been,  therefore,  our  desire  to  enunciate  a  few 
simple  and  important  considerations  of  an  art  too  much 
neglected,  and  to  exemplify  them  practically  from  a  plan 
intended  for  execution  in  a  simple  and  inexpensive  manner. 
There  are  necessarily  many  features  and  details,  not  here 
treated,  that  may  be  introduced  on  small  places  with  much 
effect  and  without  transgressing  any  fundamental  rules  of 
lawn-planting.  We  desire,  however,  to  utter,  before  con- 
cluding, yet  another  warning  against  attempting  too  much 
when  once  we  assume  the  artistic  standpoint.  Care  for  the 
proper  exhibition  and  health  of  the  plants  themselves  must 


270  LA  WN-PLANTING. 


be,  after  all,  the  prime  consideration,  in  pursuance  of  which 
we  cannot  go  far  astray. 

As  I  have  already  intimated,  the  rural  adornment  of 
the  exterior  of  homes  may  rightfully  demand  and  is  receiv- 
ing increased  attention.  It  is  improvement  of  taste  in  the 
same  line,  as  that  encouraged  for  the  decoration  of  interiors, 
in  that  they  both  form  important  elements  of  home  life. 
Unfortunately,  many  people  have  a  way  of  regarding  such 
work  as  requiring  greater  skill  than  is  actually  the  case. 
It  is  really  less  difficult  and  expensive  in  proportion  to  the 
results  obtained  than  most  other  forms  of  home  art. 


CHAPTER     XIV. 

CITY    PARKS. 


O  write  of  parks  is  to  enter  a  field 
which  is  almost  unlimited  in  ex- 
tent. It  has  come  now  to  the 
pass  that  eveiy  town  and  city  of 
importance  in  Europe  and  America 
must  have  its  park.  It  is  the 
fashion.  Whether  the  fashion  is 
always  well  wrought  out,  is  another 

thing.  Unenlightened  town  authorities  cannot  always  be 
depended  on  to  employ  competent  talent,  and  to  adopt  a 
wise  and  comprehensive  scheme  of  operations. 

Yet,  after  all,  parks  are  but  larger  door-yards  or  lawns, 
— or  rather,  in  many  cases,  a  series  of  them.  The  landscape- 
gardening  lore  applied  to  them  is  essentially  the  same  as 
that  employed  in  constructing  the  most  modest  home 
grounds.  There  is  nothing  really  different  in  the  general 
theory  of  the  landscape  gardening  of  parks  from  that  of 
ordinary  grounds.  The  apparent  difference  simply  lies  in  the 
special  application  to  some  particular  individual  undertaking. 

•271 


272  CITY  PARKS. 


In  actual  practice,  one  park  must,  of  course,  be  treated 
differently  from  other  parks ;  but  the  lessons  acquired  by 
considering  one  piece  of  work  of  this  kind,  must  always  be 
helpful  in  carrying  on  other  park- work. 

In  order,  therefore,  not  to  weary  the  reader  with  the 
enunciation  of  abstract  principles,  and  detailing  instructions 
that  do  not  always  really  instruct,  I  am  going  to  ask  atten- 
tion for  a  few  moments  to  what  I  consider  the  best  well 
advanced  example  of  this  kind  of  landscape  gardening  in 
America,  namely,  Central  Park,  New  York  City. 

In  considering  Central  Park,  I  beg  leave  to  first  intro- 
duce a  few  lines  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Calvert  Vaux,  one  of 
the  originators  of  the  essential  artistic  effect  of  the  park. 

"  The  principal  defect  of  the  ground  originally  appro- 
priated to  Central  Park  was  that  it  offered  very  few  com- 
paratively level  tracts  of  sufficient  area  to  make  a  definite 
meadow-like  impression  on  the  eye.  The  ground  is,  for  the 
most  part,  broken,  undulating,  picturesque,  and  rocky  ;  and 
this  is,  confessedly,  a  desirable  quality  for  a  park  site  to 
possess,  because  it  is  a  comparatively  rare  one.  Most  of  the 
large  parks — such  as  Hyde  Park  in  London,  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne  in  Paiis,  and  the  Phoenix  Park  in  Dublin — are 
manifestly  lacking  in  variety  of  natural  surface  ;  and  every 
effort  that  art  can  make  has  to  be  resorted  to  for  the  pur- 
pose of  relieving  at  intervals  the  general  monotony  of 
ground-line,  which,  in  these  parks,  is  the  normal  condition 
of  things.  Under  such  circumstances,  it  is  evident  that 
much  can  be  done  by  planting  trees  of  high  and  low  growth, 
in  such  relation  to  each  other  that  the  sky-line  will  be 
agreeably  diversified,  while  the  level  of  the  soil  is  but 


CITY  PARKS.  273 


slightly  varied.  Nature  works  on  so  large  a  scale  that  it  is 
rarely  practicable  to  construct  artificial  eminences  of  suffi- 
cient magnitude  to  be  really  impressive.  It  has  been  done 
at  the  Pare  du  Chaumont,  in  Paris,  quite  effectively ;  but 
this  is  a  rare  example. 

"  It  may  be  remarked,  in  this  connection,  that  the  sense 
of  quiet  repose  ministered  to  by  a  large  lawn  surface  is  not 
satisfied  by  picturesque  ground,  however  vigorously  it  may 
be  planted ;  and,  as  the  need  for  quiet  repose  in  this  work- 
a-day  world  is  more  constant  than  the  need  for  vigorous 
stimulus,  a  lack  of  pastoral,  meadow-like  stretches  of  lawn 
in  any  large  public  park  will  always  be  felt  by  the  habitual 
visitor  to  be  a  serious  disadvantage." 

Originally,  a  place  for  a  large  park  was  chosen  along 
the  East  River,  on  the  site  of  what  was  known  as  Jones 
Wood.  This  was  not  thought  to  be  central  enough,  and,  in 
consequence,  Central  Park  was  located  within  its  present 
boundaries,  with  the  exception  that,  for  many  years,  its 
extent  to  the  north  only  reached  the  neighborhood  of  106th 
Street. 

In  1857,  the  work  of  constructing  Central  Park  was 
fairly  undertaken,  with  Mr.  Andrew  H.  Green  the  virtual 
head  of  the  commission  of  eleven  members  appointed  by 
the  State,  and  not  as  a  part  of  the  Tweed  charter  of  the 
city. 

A  topographical  survey  of  the  entire  territory  was  first 
made,  and  then  competitive  plans,  about  thirty  in  number, 
were  secured.  The  successful  competitors  were  Messrs. 
Olmsted  &  Vaux.  From  that  time  until  the  present,  the 
work  of  construction  went  steadily  on,  with  some  few  ex- 


274  CITY  PARKS. 

ceptions,  along  the  lines  laid  down  in  the  original  plans, 
nearly  all  being  executed  during  the  first  twelve  years. 

Messrs.  Olmsted  <fe  Vaux  together,  or  either  one  alone, 
supervised  this  work,  for  the  most  part  ;  and  the  confidence 
of  the  municipality  having  been  won  by  Mr.  Green,  he  was 
enabled  for  nearly  thirteen  consecutive  years  to  successfully 
manage  the  finances  and  administration  of  this  vast  and 
complex  civic  enterprise.  I  feel,  therefore,  that  it  may  be 
said  with  truth  that  Central  Park  could  hardly  have  been 
built  as  it  is  to-day  without  the  devoted  interest,  high  ad- 
ministrative ability  and  artistic  discernment  displayed  by 
the  Hon.  Andrew  H.  Green,  at  all  stages  of  its  develop- 
ment. 

In  order  to  secure  some  general  idea  of  the  treatment 
of  Central  Park,  we  will  consider  for  a  few  moments  its 
arrangement  as  it  appears  on  the  map.  It  is  an  awkward 
territory  to  treat,  narrow  and  long,  with  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  Croton  Reservoir  occupying  nearly  the 
entire  centre,  from  85th  to  97th  Street.  The  clearly  defined 
motive  of  the  park  is  to  secure  a  pleasant  secluded  country 
strolling  ground  directly  in  the  heart  of  New  York  City. 
Perhaps  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  park  to  design  was  the 
road  system.  It  was,  as  all  roads  and  walks  are,  a  necessary 
feature,  that  would  not  in  any  case  add  to  the  beauty  of  the 
park.  But  opportunity  for  viewing  the  park  must  be  secured, 
and  so  roads  and  walks  were  laid  out  on  such  lines  as  would 
exhibit  the  park  best  and  mar  it  the  least. 

The  main  entrance,  at  Fifth  Avenue  and  59th  Street, 
with  its  great  after  addition  of  the  Plaza,  was  made  at  the 
corner  of  the  park,  extending  in  at  an  angle.  This  is  always 


276  CITY  PARKS. 


an  effective  way  to  enter  a  park.  It  makes  the  region 
seem  larger  and  more  varied  in  effect. 

About  half  a  mile  along  this  drive,  sixty  feet  wide,  we  come 
to  the  most  important  semi-artificial  effect  of  Central  Park, 
the  Mall.  It  is  a  formal  planted  open-air  cathedral  of  elms, 
showing  long  vistas  of  natural  Gothic  arches,  with  a  wide 
walk  in  the  centre  and  -grass  alleys  on  either  side.  The 
semi-artificial  effect  is  relieved  by  irregular  masses  of  trees 
planted  all  around  the  "  cathedral  of  trees,"  thus  shading 
off  and  merging  the  formal  effect  into  the  picturesque  and 
natural  one  peculiar  to  the  remainder  of  the  park.  The 
Mall  is  the  most  frequented  part  of  the  park.  Beneath  its 
noble  arches  people  linger  to  enjoy  the  cool  of  morning  or 
evening,  or  gather  on  bright  afternoons  in  thousands  to 
enjoy  the  music  of  a  band  occupying  a  stand  near  the  north 
end.  The  Mall  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  at  the 
extreme  north  end  the  cathedral  of  trees  culminates  in 
the  Terrace,  which  is  the  most  elaborate  and  manifestly 
architectural  effect  in  the  park. 

A  broad  drive  passes  across  the  north  end  of  the  Mall, 
and  along  its  entire  width  extends  a  broad  high  Nova  Scotia 
sandstone  balustrade,  elaborately  decorated  with  carved 
fruits,  animals,  and  birds.  Broad  stone  steps  lead  under 
this  drive  from  the  Mall  itself ;  and  from  the  north  side  of 
the  drive  two  other  sets  of  steps,  bordered  with  carved 
balustrades  illustrating  the  seasons,  go  down  to  a  great 
Plaza,  ornamented  by  the  Bethesda  Fountain.  Beyond  is 
the  Lake,  and  still  beyond,  the  woods  of  the  Ramble  that 
look  illimitable.  The  view  on  an  autumn  day  from  the 
drive  across  the  Plaza  and  fountain  and  across  the  Lake  to 


CITY  PARKS.  i>77 


the  Ramble,  where  the  woods  are  flushed  with  crimson  and 
gold,  is  something  to  be  treasured  in  the  memory  above  all 
other  scenes  of  the  park. 

To  the  east  of  the  Mall,  across  the  East  Drive,  is 
the  Children's  and  Nurses'  Lawn,  extending  from  T2d 
Street,  along  Fifth  Avenue  to  the  gate  at  67th  Street. 
This  place  reminds  one  of  an  English  lawn.  It  is 
a  bit  of  five  or  six  acres  of  fine  turf,  unbroken  except 
by  a  few  scattered  shade  trees  of  large  size.  Each  tree  is  a 
fine  specimen.  There  are  horse-chestnuts  and  some  excellent 
American  beeches,  oaks,  tulip-trees,  maples,  elms,  purple 
beeches,  liquidambars,  etc. 

Under  these  trees  and  over  the  greensward  play  through- 
out the  months  of  May  and  June,  and  occasionally  later, 
hundreds  of  children  both  rich  and  poor.  On  a  Saturday 
afternoon  in  May  you  will  see  scores  of  May-parties  and 
hundreds  of  children  covering  every  part  of  this  lawn.  The 
bright  ribbons,  the  white  dresses,  and  the  greensward  and 
trees,  and  above  all,  the  happy  faces,  make  a  picture  to 
gladden  the  heart  of  man.  The  attraction  of  the  picture  is 
increased  when  we  consider  that  many  of  these  children 
come  from  the  great  tenement-houses  of  the  east  side  of 
town,  and  from  some  of  the  most  crowded  regions  of  the 
civilized  world. 

To  the  west  of  the  Mall  is  another  great  lawn  or  meadow 
called  the  Green.  Here  base-ball  is  played  on  clear  days, 
when  the  grass  is  dry,  and  under  the  shade  of  the  bordering 
trees  gather  picnics.  This  meadow  has  no  tree  or  shrub  on 
its  surface  except  on  its  extreme  borders.  It  extends  over 
to  the  West  Drive,  and  is  contrived,  in  connection  with 


278  CITY  PARKS. 


sli rubbery  and  trees,  as  a  western  background,  so  as  to  give 
the  idea  of  a  larger  area  than  really  exists.  There  are  only 
four  open  grass  spaces  or  meadows  of  any  size  in  Central 
Park ;  and  as  the  main  repose  and  highest  enjoyment  of  the 
park  reside  chiefly  in  these  spots,  let  the  public  beware  of 
the  intrusion  of  all  glittering,  discordant  shows,  military 
bodies,  world's  fairs,  menageries,  or  race-courses.  It  is  the 
poor  who  enjoy  these  places  above  all  people — it  is  the 
children  of  the  poor,  and  the  mothers.  We  must  not,  there- 
fore, spoil  their  heritage.  The  people  should  always 
treasure  these  open  grass  spaces  of  their  parks.  They  are 
invaluable. 

The  Lower  Meadow,  near  Seventh  Avenue  and  59th 
Street,  is  specially  attractive.  It  has  a  great  rock  jutting 
out  in  it,  and  to  the  north  at  a  higher  level  extends 
the  seemingly  large  expanse  of  green.  Round  about  run 
footpaths,  bridle-paths,  and  drives,  and  at  one  corner  of  it 
is  the  children's  play-ground,  consisting  of  a  great  rnerry-go- 
round  and  the  Kinderberg  summer-house,  one  hundred  feet 
in  diameter. 

On  fine  days  in  May  and  June  this  charming  meadow  is 
literally  covered  with  playing  children,  thus  fulfilling  the 
most  important  functions  of  a  park  in  a  densely  crowded 
city.  Beyond  these  two  meadows  is  the  West  Drive, 
sixty  feet  in  width.  In  the  neighborhood  of  72d  Street 
it  passes  on  one  side  the  Mineral  Springs,  ba,cked  by 
picturesque  vine-covered  rocks,  and  on  the  other  by  a  lawn 
planted  with  fine  shade  trees — beeches,  maples,  elms,  and, 
above  all,  several  large  specimens  of  Chinese  magnolias 
(Magnolia  conxpwua) . 


280  CITY  PARKS. 


Then  the  road  strikes  the  Lake,  looking  on  one  side  into 
a  pool  of  rock-bordered  water,  with  a  spanning  stone  bridge 
at  77th  Street ;  on  the  other  side,  over  a  broad  view 
of  lovely  lake  surface.  This  view  is  bordered  with  the 
sweeping  branches  of  the  wooded  shores  of  the  Ramble,  and 
emphasized  in  the  distance  by  a  sandy  beach  and  a  point  of 
foliage  crowned  by  two  great  Lonibardy  poplars.  There  is 
a  stone  seat  on  the  bridge  close  to  77th  Street,  where 
one  can  look  over  the  shining  surface  of  the  Lake  to 
the  distant  Lombardy  poplars  and  possibly  conclude  that 
this  is  the  most  charming  bit  of  landscape  in  the  park. 

At  this  point,  however,  the  visitor  is  tempted  away 
from  the  Drive  into  the  Ramble,  which  must  be  considered 
as  an  episode  needing  special  description.  This  quaint  bit 
of  wild-wood  is  chiefly  made  ground,  and  yet  not  in  the 
least  artificial-looking,  for  it  is  contrived  quite  simply  out 
of  the  original  simple  and  natural  conditions,  intricate  as 
its  paths  and  undulations  may  appear.  It  is  identical  in 
scale  with  what  might  readily  be  an  ordinaiy  country -place 
with  the  Belvidere  as  the  mansion. 

In  front  of  the  mansion  is  a  fine  central  grass  plat, 
and  beyond  wind  paths  up  and  down  and  across  a  stream, 
along  the  lake  shore,  or  over  great  masses  of  rock  down 
into  a  veritable  gloomy  cave.  There  are  fine  weeping 
beeches,  azaleas,  rhododendrons  and  plenty  of  perennial 
plants  and  shrubs  blooming  throughout  the  season.  It  is, 
in  a  word,  a  picturesque  wild-wood  nook,  where  one  is  hid- 
den from  and  entirely  forgets  the  city.  An  experiment  like 
this  might  be  hazardous,  if  the  boundaries  of  the  Ramble 
were  not  clearly  defined  by  nature,  because  it  does  not 


282  CITY  PARA'S. 

produce  the  ample,  open-air  lawn  effect  with  reasonable 
shade,  that  should  be  the  initial  requirement  in  any  city 
park. 

Passing  up  the  West  Drive  between  two  small  hollow 
lawns  ornamented  with  some  fine  specimens  of  evergreen, 
Pinus  exceha  (Bhotan  pine),  and  stone  pines  and  hemlocks 
near  82d  Street  and  Eighth  Avenue,  a  loop  drive  leads  up 
to  a  small  plateau  called  The  Concourse,  where  the  eye 
wanders  over  miles  of  city  houses,  out  to  the  Hudson  in 
the  distance.  Here  are  many  specimen  evergreens  of  con- 
siderable excellence,  creeping  junipers,  retinosporas,  stone 
pines  (Pinus  cembraj,  white  pines  in  groves,  silver  firs  of 
several  excellent  species  and  varieties,  Oriental  spruces,  Atlas 
cedars,  mugho  pines,  and  some  fine  specimens  of  the  evergreen 
thorn  (  Cotoneaster  <n-  Cratceguspyracantha),w\t}\  its  shining 
small  leaves  and  orange-red  berries  in  autumn. 

Beyond  this  portion  of  the  park,  towards  the  85th 
Street  transverse  road,  are  two  or  three  other  small  lawns 
on  either  side  of  the  Drive.  Throughout  these  lawns,  since 
we  left  72d  Street,  will  be  noticed  along  the  West  Drive  as 
far  as  110th  Street  quantities  of  evergreens.  The  West 
Drive  was  originally^  arranged  for  a  winter  as  well  as  a 
summer  resort,  and  is  altogether  the  most  attractive  side  of 
the  park.  Fashion  has  decreed,  however,  that  the  grand 
parade  of  carriages  must  go  up  and  down  the  east  side  of 
the  park. 

Having  reached  the  85th  Street  transverse  road,  I  will 
stop  a  moment  and  explain  these  peculiar  features  of  the 
park.  They  are  sunken  roads  extending  from  Fifth  to 
Eighth  Avenue,  and  there  are  four  of  them, — viz.,  at  65th, 


284  CITY  PARKS. 


79th,  85th  and  97th  streets.  Completely  screened  with 
trees  and  shrubs  and  seven-feet  walls,  spanned  with  fre- 
quent bridges,  these  driveways  afford  abundant  convenience 
for  traffic  across  the  park. 

On  the  85th  Street  transverse  road  are  situated  the 
stables  and  workshops  of  the  Department,  completely  hid- 
den away.  Here  also  is  the  entrance  to  the  two  great  Cro- 
ton  reservoirs.  They  occupy  one  hundred  and  fifty-four 
acres  of  the  heart  of  Central  Park. 

There  is  little  of  interest  comparatively  to  be  found  in 
the  park  along  the  reservoirs.  They  block  up  and  absorb 
almost  the  entire  park  for  the  distance  they  extend.  When 
we  reach,  however,  the  north  end  of  the  park,  clear  of  the 
reservoir,  we  come  upon  more  charming  meadow  views. 

The  first  is  a  glade  of  a  few  acres  seen  beneath  the 
branches  of  noble  pin-oaks,  just  before  we  reach  the  97th 
Street  transverse  road.  Here  lawn-tennis  is  played,  and 
the  disposition  of  the  trees  is  such  that  one  can  hardly 
believe  it  other  than  a  genuine  woodland  nook.  The  scene 
is  a  thoroughly  natural  one,  and  far  more  park-like  than 
anything  in  the  Ramble. 

Crossing  over  the  97th  Street  transverse  road,  and  leav- 
ing with  regret  the  grove  of  pin-oaks  and  the  forest  glade, 
we  come  to  the  great  North  Meadow  of  the  park.  It  is  a 
wonderful  effect.  Only  nineteen  acres,  and  apparently  ex- 
tending miles.  The  illustration  gives  a  fair  idea  of  it,  but 
only  as  a  picture  can.  The  sheen  of  the  grass,  the  varied 
tints  of  the  foliage  sweeping  the  turf  to  the  left,  the  low-lying 
hillocks  crowned  with  large  forest  trees,  the  great  boulders 
entirely  exposed  or  only  half  submerged,  the  meadow  be- 


286  CITY  PARKS. 


\  oiid  running  back  to  seemingly  unknown  distances, — who 
will  picture  it  truly  ?  There  is  dignity,  there  is  breadth, 
repose,  restfulness,  and  yet  a  sense  of  isolation  that  is  not 
absolute.  It  is  genuine  park  scenery  that  the  eye  is 
tempted  to  linger  on  and  the  foot  to  walk  on,  and  presents, 
if  viewed  as  a  single  feature,  one  of  the  best  examples  we 
have  of  good  park- work. 

In  May  the  bright  costumes  of  numerous  tennis  players 
enliven  its  surface  and  attract  many  interested  spectators. 
But  to  me  it  is  more  attractive  when  it  lies  in  unbroken 
rest  in  the  shimmering  atmosphere  of  an  autumn  day  with 
the  red  and  gold  of  the  maples  and  hickories  framing  and 
brightening  its  greensward. 

Leaving  the  large  suggestion  of  breadth  and  distance  of 
the  North  Meadow,  we  pass  up  the  West  Drive  to  the 
Highlands  of  the  park.  As  we  cross  the  bridge  spanning 
the  stream  which  flows  out  of  the  pool  of  water  near  Eighth 
Avenue  and  100th  Street,  called  the  Pool,  we  look  in  au- 
tumn on  a  splendid  hillside  of  blood-red  sumach,  and  turn- 
ing the  other  way  we  see  a  rock-bordered  stream  winding 
along  a  forest-covered  hillside.  It  is  all  charmingly  wild 
and  picturesque.  When  we  reach  the  top  of  the  great  hill 
crowned  with  native  trees  we  turn  up  a  wide  drive  to  the 
Circle  a  small  open  space  of  road,  greensward,  and  digni- 
fied elms. 

Turning  back  on  our  tracks  and,  after  reaching  the  West 
Drive,  passing  down  a  steep  winding  way,  we  come  to  one 
of  the  finest  single  features  of  the  park,  a  great  overhanging 
rock.  It  is  a  picturesque  object  which  is  yet  so  natural- 
looking  that  it  seems  to  have  existed  there  always.  On  a 


A  GORGE  IN  CENTRAL  PARK. 


288  CITY  PARKS. 


hot, dry  day  the  gloom  beneath  it  is  literally  "the  shadow 
of  a  mighty  rock  in  a  thirsty  land." 

Near  110th  Street  we  pass  on  the  woody  heights  a  great 
gorge  filled  with  rhododendrons  avitli  a  lily-pool  at  its  base 
which  produces  a  most  natural  and  picturesque  effect. 

Opposite  the  entrance  from  Sixth  Avenue  we  come  to  the 
Harlem  Meer,  a  fine  sheet  of  water  of  some  twelve  acres. 
Here  there  are  sandy,  pebbly  shores  and  plenty  of  steep, 
rocky  slopes  coming  down  from  the  earthworks  of  old  Fort 
Fish.  Along  the  western  shore  of  this  lake  at  a  some- 
what higher  level  our  drive  now  passes.  We  have  come  to 
the  fashionable  East  Drive  again,  and  opposite  the  entrance 
at  Sixth  Avenue  and  110th  Street  most  of  the  carriages  turn. 

The  road  winds  at  first  picturesquely  across  a  rock 
bridge  over  the  stream  that  flows  between  the  Pool  and 
the  Harlem  Meer,  and  above  this  bridge  appears  a  consider- 
able waterfall.  The  walk  along  the  stream  above  and  south 
of  the  waterfall  can  be  seen  from  the  bridge  to  be  pictu- 
resque and  attractive  with  its  wooded  hillsides  and  on  the 
east  a  grassy  lawn  sloping  down  to  its  eastern  border.  Hav- 
ing reached  the  top  of  the  hill  we  come  to  the  site  of  the 
old  Mount  Saint  Vincent  Convent,  afterwards  a  restaurant, 
and  finally  burnt  down  and  replaced  by  the  present  build- 
ing. A  little  beyond  this  spot  we  come  to  the  great  North 
Meadow  again  and  catch  nearly  as  fine  a  view  of  its  bright 
openness  as  we  did  from  the  West  Drive.  There  is  really 
little  of  interest  now  on  the  East  Drive  until  we  pass  the 
reservoir  and  come  to  the  east  side  of  the  Ramble. 

The  birches,  evergreens,  and  vines  on  the  rocky  banks 
are  fine  at  this  point  and  there  is  a  small  deep  dell  to  the 


CITY  PARKS.  289 


•east  of  the  drive  adjoining  the  79th  Street  transverse  road 
that  is  worth  stopping  to  look  at.  Its  sides  are  planted 
with  beeches,  oaks,  elms,  and  maples,  and  at  the  bottom  the 
grass  seems  to  grow  with  peculiar  richness  and  vigor. 

As  we  come  down  the  hill  past  the  branch  road  leading 
out  to  79th  Street  we  look  over  to  Fifth  Avenue  across  a 
hollow  or  bowl  extending  from  79th  to  72d  Street.  The 
sloping  sides  of  this  region,  intended  for  a  conservatory, 
•enclosing  as  a  central  feature  a  small  sheet  of  water  with  a 
lily-pond  to  the  north,  close  by,  make  an  attractive  picture. 
These  slopes  are  further  adorned  with  fine  specimens  of  firs, 
spruces,  beeches,  elms,  and  maples,  and  also  with  large 
groups  of  deciduous  shrubs  planted  on  the  slope  adjoining 
Fifth  Avenue.  There  is  a  noteworthy  mass  of  Rosa  rugosa 
and  among  the  shrubs  are  many  Japanese  snowballs,  hy- 
drangeas, Rhodotypus  kerrioides,  Spiraea  Thunbergii,  etc. 
The  common  shrubs  are  numerously  represented  by  Spiraea 
opulifolias,  red-twigged  dogwoods,  weigelias,  standard  honey- 
suckles, and  philadelphuses. 

The  lily-pond  is  of  irregular  form,  bordered  with  rocks 
^nd  planted  at  intervals  with  lotuses,  water-lilies,  Cyperus 
papyrus,  and  the  quaint  and  charming  floating  pontederia. 

Thus  we  have  made  the  round  of  the  park  and  come  to 
the  Casino  Restaurant,  which  is  worth  visiting  in  early 
or  late  May  of  all  seasons,  for  the  sake  of  the  wonderful 
wistaria  effect  crowning  the  Pergola,  a  summer  shelter 
overlooking  the  Mall  at  this  point.  The  purple  clusters 
of  flowers  lie  in  piles  among  the  tossing  tendrils  and  leaves 
until  against  the  blue  sky  beyond  the  effect  is  that  of  a 

purple  and  green  cloud  resting  on  the  arbor. 
ro 


290  CITY  PARKS. 


Before  concluding  this  brief  itinerary  of  the  park, 
however,  I  must  take  the  reader  on  horseback,  as  it  were, 
to  two  or  three  bits  of  charming  scenery  on  the  bridle- 
paths, which  can  be  seen  nowhere  else  as  well.  The  first 
is  on  a  curve  around  the  southwest  side  of  the  lower 
green  near  Seventh  Avenue  and  59th  Street.  There  is  a  great 
rock  here,  and  an  ever  widening  meadow,  with  a  distant 
view  over  another  meadow  and  plenty  of  trees  and 
shrubs  round  about.  The  sweet  influences  of  spring  at 
this  point  are  not  to  be  surpassed  anywhere  else  in  the 
park. 

Another  charmingly  secluded  spot  may  be  found  by 
passing  lip  the  bridle-path  to  the  stone  bridge  at  77th 
Street  and  Eighth  Avenue  to  a  pool  of  water  with  a 
loop  road  leading  to  the  water's  brink  and  a  great  sheer 
rock  on  the  opposite  shore.  The  shrubs  on  the  bank  at 
this  point  are  attractive,  in  both  spring  and  autumn,  includ- 
ing spireas,  dogwoods,  Lonicera  fragrantissima,  weigelias, 
privets,  and  masses  of  honeysuckles  over  the  small  rocks  on 
the  edge  of  the  water,  and  Ampelopsis  tricuspidata  and  Vir- 
ginia creepers  on  the  stone  bridge  and  sheer  rock.  I  would 
advise  the  reader  to  mount  a  horse  and  ride  through  the 
park,  if  only  for  the  opportunity  of  sauntering  down  this 
loop  bridle-path  at  77th  Street  and  Eighth  Avenue. 

There  are,  besides,  choice  bits  of  landscape  along  the 
bridle-paths  between  81st  Street  and  86th  Street  and  up 
by  97th  Street  among  the  pin-oaks.  But  in  no  other  way 
can  the  great  North  Meadow  be  seen  so  well  as  on  horse- 
back from  the  bridle-path  that  runs  round  its  entire  extent. 
On  the  east  side  the  bridle-path  is  completely  embowered 


CITY  PARKS.  291 


with  trees,  and  from  these  you  look  out  with  peculiar  en- 
joyment over  the  expanse  of  the  North  Meadow. 

There  are  five  and  one  half  miles  of  bridle-paths,  and 
nine  miles  of  drives,  and  thirty  miles  of  foot-paths  in 
Central  Park.  Altogether,  there  are  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  in  Central  Park,  including  the  one  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  reservoir. 

It  might  doubtless  be  interesting  to  speak  of  many 
other  individual  features  of  marked  interest  in  Central 
Park.  I  do  not,  however,  think  it  expedient  in  such  a 
general  description  and  illustration  of  general  principles  as 
this  to  be  drawn  into  such  emphasis  of  details.  Indeed, 
the  manifest  superiority  of  the  design  as  a  whole  is  its  gen- 
eral adequacy  to  the  effect  sought,  which  was  simple  park 
scenery  in  the  midst  of  a  city. 

This  seems  a  proper  place  to  remark  that  another  great 
attraction  possessed  by  Central  Park  is  the  essential  unity 
of  its  design.  Here  is  a  park  laid  out  on  paper  according  to 
definite  artistic  conceptions  and  then  executed  substantially 
as  conceived  in  the  beginning. 

Before  closing  my  remarks  on  Central  Park  I  desire  to 
direct  especial  attertion  to  the  popular-amusement  feature 
insisted  upon  in  its  arrangement.  The  chief  and  most 
important  office  of  Central  Park  is  not  to  furnish  agreeable 
driving  territory  for  the  beau  monde,  the  millionaires,  and 
the  lovers  of  horseflesh.  It  is  not  a  scheme  to  please  and 
attract  the  fashionable,  but  it  is  a  playground  for  the 
young  people,  a  pleasant  open-air  breathing  space  for  the 
mothers  and  fathers  who  desire  to  go  into  the  country  and 
cannot  set  there. 


292  CITY  PARKS. 


As  a  part  of  this  scheme  for  the  pleasure  and  well- 
being  of  the  multitude  there  is  music  on  the  Mall  twice  a 
week,  goat-carriages,  donkeys,  merry-go-rounds,  summer- 
houses,  grounds  for  croquet,  lawn-tennis,  base-ball,  foot-ball, 
and  lacrosse,  and,  above  all,  grounds  everywhere  for  picnics 
in  spring  and  early  summer.  Last  year  there  were  picnic 
permits  issued  to  over  seventy-five  thousand  children,  whose 
wants  were  ministered  to  by  park  employes  without  charge. 

In  order  to  secure  the  greatest  amount  of  pleasure  from 
these  games,  the  turf  requires  special  and  solicitous  atten- 
tion. It  must  be  mown  frequently,  and  manured  yearly ; 
and  above  all  it  must  not  be  used  when  soft  from  rain,  and 
liable  to  be  torn  up  by  the  feet  of  visitors. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  on  city  parks,  I  must  say  a 
few  words  about  small  city  squares  or  greens.  They  are 
generally  not  large  enough  to  consist  of  more  than  a  few 
square  yards  or  half  a  dozen  acres.  Usually  they  come  on 
some  irregularly  shaped  space  situated  at  the  junction  of 
two  or  more  streets.  Properly  they  should  be  termed 
"  Greens,"  like  the  Bowling  Green,  at  the  foot  of  Broadway, 
New  York  City.  The  green  effect  of  the  grass  should  be 
made  the  chief  and  most  important  feature  of  their 
treatment. 

Some  fence  of  a  simple  and  inconspicuous  character 
should  surround  the  plot,  and  this  fence  should  be  masked 
and  ornamented  with  shrubs  and  trees,  but  the  interior 
should  be  simple  open  greensward,  with  a  few  bright  bits 
of  bedding,  and  trees  enough  for  shade  along  the  paths. 
The  semi-artificial  lines  and  masses  of  formal  bedding  are 
out  of  place  in  the  strictly  rural  scenery  of  Central  Park, 


CITY  PARKS.  293 

but  in  the  city  parks  they  look  well  amid  the  architectural 
lines  of  the  surrounding  buildings. 

Every  small  city  park  should  have  a  widening  of  the 
pathway  towards  the  centre,  and  if  possible  an  open  plaza 
where  the  children  may  play  and  the  visitor  linger. 
Architectural  adornments  may  properly  be  employed  in 
small  parks,  so  long  as  they  do  not  seriously  interfere  with 
the  open  grass  effect.  There  may  be  even  busts  or  statues, 
but  especially  suitable  are  drinking  fountains,  and  fountain 
basins,  with  great  sprays  of  water. 

The  fountain  basins  may  be  effectively  ornamented  with 
lotuses,  water-lilies,  and  other  decorative  water-plants. 
All  such  adornment  of  small  city  squares  or  greens  tends 
to  appropriately  enliven  and  enrich  the  general  appearance 
of  a  crowded  city,  where  the  effect  of  everything  is  arti- 
ficial, and  more  or  less  formal  or  tedious. 

I  should  warn  those  who  propose  to  plant  these  small 
city  squares,  that  the  surrounding  conditions  are  not  primar- 
ily favorable  for  the  growth  of  plants.  The  air  is  apt  to 
be  hot,  dry,  and  dust-laden,  if  not  actually  impure.  Conse- 
quently the  soil  should  be  thoroughly  enriched,  and  the 
most  vigorous  and  hardy  trees  and  shrubs  employed.  Ever- 
greens seldom  do  well  in  large,  crowded  cities.  It  is  better 
to  plant  certain  hardy,  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs,  such  as 
the  privet,  weigelia,  snowball,  Spircea  opulifolia,  American 
thorn  (Cratcegus  Crus-galli),  philadelphus,  American  elm, 
honey-locust,  American  linden,  Norway  and  sugar  maples, 
and  the  Oriental  plane  trees. 

The  care  of  these  small  city  squares  is  often  difficult  on 
account  of  the  crowds  that  congregate  or  pass  through,  and 


294  CITY  PARKS. 


on  account  of  the  heat  and  dust,  but  it  can  be  done  by  con- 
tinual watering,  cleaning,  and  cultivating.  Canal  Street 
Park,  New  York,  is  situated  in  perhaps  the  most  difficult 
position  in  the  city  of  which  it  is  possible  to  conceive. 
The  surrounding  houses  are  tenements,  produce  stores,  and 
the  like,  and  the  incessant  traffic  consists  largely  of  trucks 
and  carts,  laden  with  coal,  refuse,  vegetables,  and  the 
roughest  material.  Dirt  is  ubiquitous,  and  the  heat  at 
times  is  great.  And  yet  the  grass  is  always  green  here, 
and  the  shrubs,  trees,  and  bedding  plants,  always  thriving. 
The  park  is  only  195  feet  long  by  69  feet  wide,  but  it 
occupies  the  entire  attention  of  one  gardener,  and  two  police 
officers,  either  one  of  whom  is  on  guard  at  night  and  during 
the  day. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  see  the  mothers  with  their  children 
gather  here  on  the  settees  throughout  the  long  sultry  sum- 
mer nights,  and  realize  that  this  unspeakable  boon  can  be 
secured  at  such  comparatively  low  cost.  Every  city  should 
seek  to  adorn  these  small  greens,  to  increase  their  number, 
and  to  enlarge  their  boundaries. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


RAILWAY,  CHURCHYARD,  AND  CEMETERY 
LAWN-PLANTING. 

A    RAILWAY    LAWN. 


encouraging  sign  of  the  times  is 
the  interest  which  has  been  mani- 
fested of  late  by  our  railroad 
officials  in  the  appearance  of  the 
stations  on  their  lines.  Many  of 
these  buildings  and  surroundings, 
which  were  formerly  eyesores,  have 
been  so  beautified  by  the  judicious 

expenditure  of  some  thought  and  a  little  money,  that  they 
now  lend  an  added  charm  to  the  landscape ;  and  were 
they  to  be  removed,  they  would  be  missed  with  regret. 

I  had  occasion  lately  to  visit  one  of  these  recently  im- 
proved stations.  The  natural  surface  of  the  ground  rose 
rapidly  in  the  rear  of  the  building,  and  along  the  edge  of 
the  great  rock  mass,  cut  through  just  here  by  the  railroad, 
gurgled  a  small,  tumbling  rill  across  the  road,  under  a  board 
or  two.  Except  just  about  the  station,  where  everything 

295 


296  A  RAIL  WA  Y  LA  WN. 


had  been  thoroughly  cleared  away,  bits  of  rock  abounded, 
and  these  had  been  utilized  in  a  picturesque  manner.  Im- 
mediately around  the  station  ran  a  carnage  road,  with  a 
convenient  oval  circuit  for  turning.  On  one  end  of  this 
circuit,  near  the  station,  was  a  weeping  beech,  and  the  other 
extremity  was  occupied  by  a  group  of  flowering  shrubs, 
that,  although  too  freshly  planted  to  blossom  that  year,  al- 
ready impressed  the  eye  as  an  attractive  mass  of  bright 
green  foliage.  Here  and  there,  near  the  house,  were 
planted  pleasant  shade-trees,  such  as  the  linden,  oak,  and 
maple.  It  should  be  remembered  that  by  thus  planting 
large  shade-trees,  the  architectural  effect  of  the  building 
was  greatly  enhanced,  because  the  side  toward  the  railroad, 
which  is  the  true  front,  was  uninterfered  with.  Passing 
mention  is  made  of  this,  because  objection  might  otherwise 
be  fairly  raised  to  shutting  in  the  building  with  trees.  The 
entire  work  had  been  completed  rapidly,  but  with  evident 
thoroughness.  Rich,  well^tilled  soil  had  been  secured,  and 
the  paths  were  solid  and  properly  constructed.  All  the 
edges  of  the  walks  were  bordered  by  cut  sods,  and  the  re- 
maining ground  was  sown  with  grass  seed  that,  by  the 
good  luck  that  sometimes  accompanies  good  management, 
had  come  up  evenly.  A  single  path  wound  through  the 
small  domain,  carried  hither  and  thither  so  as  to  obtain  the 
best  views  of  the  river  near  by,  as  well  as  the  utmost  vari- 
ety of  surface.  It  was  surprising  how  large  the  place 
seemed,  as  one  rambled  over  this  undulating  path.  The 
matter-of-fact  visitor  was  even  betrayed  into  the  expression 
that  it  was  as  good  in  its  way  as  anything  in  Central 
Park. 


A  RAILWAY  LAWN.  297 


There  was  little  bedding  stuff  that  required  to  be  con- 
stantly renewed  ;  only  a  few  bits  of  color  in  the  way  of 
scarlet  geraniums  and  the  like,  planted  as  a  salient  point  in 
some  shrub  group.  Almost  everything  was  simple  and 
permanent  in  character.  Hardy  flowering  shrubs  were  freely 
iised,  because  some  one  of  them  bloomed  during  every 
month  of  spring  and  summer.  There  were  small-sized  trees, 
like  the  purple  beech,  stuartia,  and  magnolia.  A  few 
groups  and  single  specimens  of  evergreens  stood  in  a  sec- 
tion near  the  rockiest  part  of  the  grounds  and  somewhat 
by  themselves.  These  consisted  almost  entirely  of  dwarf, 
slow-growing  kinds,  such  as  the  mugho  pine,  stone  pine, 
creeping  juniper,  and  some  of  the  beautiful  retinosporas. 
Peering  out  from  the  rocks  and  background  of  woods  and 
shrubbery  that  surrounded  the  spot,  were  white-barked 
weeping  birches,  golden  oaks,  and  other  trees  of  equally 
individual  character.  A  rhododendron  or  two  bloomed  also 
among  the  nearest  rocks,  as  well  as  several  hardy  azaleas. 
Along  the  little  run  of  water  were  set  out  various  herba- 
ceous plants  that  flower  freely  and  brightly  in  the  green  turf 
nearly  all  summer,  and  come  up  again  next  year  without  being 
renewed.  Over  the  rocks  grew  climbing  vines,  Virginia 
creepers,  moneywort,  and  periwinkles,  as  well  as  sedums, 
and  many  other  varieties  of  herbaceous  plants  fitted  for 
such  spots.  A  little  of  everything  that  properly  pertained 
to  a  lawn  was  here,  for  variety  had  been  one  of  the  main 
objects  sought,  in  order  that  the  tedium  of  the  waiting  pas- 
senger might  be  alleviated  as  much  as  possible. 

I  cannot  properly  explain  how  charmingly  the  combina- 
tions were  contrived  to  thus  produce,  by  a  complete  variety, 


298  THE  CHURCHYARD. 

the  most  continued  pleasure  and  surprise.  Uninitiated  as 
they  were,  the  railroad  men  at  once  recognized  the  attrac- 
tions of  this  variety,  even  in  its  crude  and  freshly  planted 
state,  and  grimly,  after  the  way  of  such  men,  expressed 
approval. 

I  asked  the  station-master  how  all  this  had  been  done, 
and  how  it  was  to  l>e  kept  in  order.  He  said  that  a  close 
survey  of  the  ground  and  existing  plants  was  made  last 
fall.  During  the  winter,  maps  and  planting  lists  were 
worked  up;  and  in  the  spring,  a  lawn-planting  foreman 
came  on  the  ground,  with  half  a  dozen  men,  and  with  the 
help  of  the  map,  and  one  or  two  visits  of  the  landscape 
architect,  they  accomplished  the  result. 

As  to  keeping  it  in  order,  the  work  is  easily  done,  he 
said,  by  men  who  are  sent  from  the  company's  office,  at 
stated  times,  to  mow  grass,  and  to  weed  and  prune.  All 
the  station-master  is  asked  to  do  is  to  watch  that  everything 
is  kept  in  apple-pie  shape,  and  if  weeds  and  grass  show 
signs  of  getting  ahead,  to  telegraph  for  help. 

THE   CHURCHYARD. 

Churchyards  and  cemeteries  were  once  essentially 
identical.  All  this,  however,  is  rapidly  changing.  For 
sanitary  and  other  good  reasons,  the  cemetery  is  now  sepa- 
rated from  the  church  ;  but,  unfortunately,  with  the  growth 
of  modern  cemeteries  is  associated  curtailment  of  church- 
yards. This  is  greatly  to  be  deplored.  Would  it  not  be 
wiser  to  even  moderate,  if  necessary  the  ornamentation  of 
the  interior,  and  secure  trees  and  grass  and  flowers  ?  A 
few  may  be  impressed  with  holy  awe  by  sculptured  nave 


THE   CHURCHYARD. 


299 


and  glowing  window,  but  the  whole  world  that  passes  by 
is  benefited  by  trees  and  flowers.  My  object,  therefore,  is 
to  see  if  I  cannot  help  to  increase  the  love  and  knowledge 
of  lawn-planting,  as  applied  to  the  grounds  of  buildings  for 
worship.  In  the  belief  that  it  is  a  reasonable  and  beautiful 
object,  I  will  endeavor  to  point  out  how  certain  trees  not 
only  harmonize  with  such  surroundings,  but  also  how  they 
possess  special  and  practical  value  in  the  positions  they 
occupy.  The  accompanying  illustration  shows  what  can  be 
effected  in  a  country  churchyard. 


A  CHURCH  LAWN. 


Such  trees  as  stand  near  the  church  are  rightly  dignified 
and  statuesque.  For  the  same  reason,  they  generally  stand 
singly  or  in  small  groups  of  three.  The  larger  ones,  like 
the  American  elm  in  the  centre,  or  the  ginkgo  fSaUsburia 
adiantifolia)  to  the  right,  have  a  more  or  less  erect  charac- 


300  THE  CHURCHYARD. 

ter.  On  the  other  hand,  the  yellow-wood  (  Virgilia  lutea), 
to  the  left  of  the  last,  has  a  broad  head  and  curving  outline 
of  trunk  and  branches,  suggestive  of  the  high  finish  of  the 
turner's  art.  Harmony  and  variety  are  specially  sought  in 
the  design  of  this  plot.  Remarkable  specimens  of  weeping 
sophora  stand  in  one  or  two  spots,  and  seem  essentially 
adapted  to  the  surroundings  of  a  church. 

Noteworthy  and  valuable  weeping  trees  are  the  elms  on 
either  side  of  the  gate.  They  have  been  planted  later  than 
many  other  trees  visible  in  the  picture,  and  are  of  the  cam- 
pestris  species,  Camperdown  variety.  Evidently  British 
from  their  name,  they  bear  little  resemblance  to  our  Ameri- 
can elms.  Slow  of  growth  and  compact  of  form,  at  no  time 
are  they  lofty  and  spreading.  They  belong  evidently  to 
the  rounded  type  of  foliage  contour.  The  rich,  dark  green 
leaves  droop  and  fold  over  each  other  in  a  regular  manner, 
in  many  cases  quite  systematic.  You  will  notice  in  the  pic- 
ture, however,  that  these  particular  specimens  have  taken  a 
fancy  to  lean  toward  each  other  in  a  manner  that  even  trees 
will  sometimes  assume.  Pruning  secures  for  this  tree  a  per- 
fect form,  until  it  attains  considerable  age.  In  short,  it  may 
be  ranked  well  up  on  our  short  roll  of  merit  of  really  good 
weeping  trees.  The  weeping  sophora,  of  which  there  are 
two,  is  possibly  more  elegant  in  appearance,  with  drooping 
garlands  of  neat,  acacia-like  foliage.  It  is  not,  however,  as 
hardy,  either  in  summer  or  winter,  as  the  Carnperdown  elm. 
I  need  hardly  rehearse  the  excellence  of  the  weeping 
sophora,  having  already  treated  of  it  elsewhere.  Further- 
more, I  want  to  call  your  attention  again  to  the  broad, 
round-headed  yellow-wood  (  Virgilia  lutea,  or,  according  to 


THE  CHURCHYARD.  301 


best  authorities,  Cladmstis  tinctoria).  It  is  the  most  cheer- 
ful tree  on  the  grounds,  and,  moreover,  though  rare,  an 
American  plant  from  the  banks  of  the  Tennessee.  The 
foliage  is  not  dense,  and  does  not  clothe  the  interior  branch- 
ing of  the  tree,  which,  in  a  way,  lays  open  to  view  a  pecul- 
iar development  of  trunk  and  limbs.  About  their  rounded 
contour  is  stretched  tightly  wrinkled  swathings  of  smooth, 
light-colored  bark.  Small  and  graceful,  the  leaves  are  light 
green,  more  or  less  like  those  of  an  acacia  or  sophora,  and 
the  flowers  white  and  in  form  drooping,  like  those  of  the 
v/istaria.  The  pyramidal  oak,  too,  forms  one  of  the  best 
trees  for  a  church  lawn.  Its  upright  lines  are  bold  and 
picturesque,  as  relieved  against  the  more  horizontal  ones  of 
the  church.  The  tree  is,  moreover,  massive  and,  for  an  oak, 
very  rapid  in  growing. 

In  seeking  to  gather  about  the  church  trees  that  accord 
with  the  place,  the  lawn-planter,  by  employing  the  Virgilia 
lutea,  has  been  most  successful.  The  color  shades  off 
effectively,  through  the  varying  hues  of  ginkgo,  weeping 
elm,  pyramidal  oak,  and  stately  American  elm,  to  the  deep- 
est, noblest  tone  of  all  produced  by  the  grand  Nordmaun's 
fir,  near  the  right-hand  corner  of  the  church.  Here  a  dark, 
noble  mass,  with  rich,  silvery  tints,  rears  itself  into  a  sym- 
metrical, perfect  feature,  which  impresses  the  eye  much  as 
the  ear  is  affected  by  some  deep,  solemn  strain  from  the  old 
organ  within  the  church.  This  fir,  indeed,  serves,  with  its 
companion  evergreens,  to  give  the  place  its  special  char- 
acter. By  good  luck,  hills  and  trees  to  the  north  and  west 
have  so  protected  this  spot  that  evergreens  of  somewhat 
tender  nature  stand  the  winter  well.  Thus,  we  have  the 


302  THE  CHURCHYARD. 

Irish  yew,  rich  and  dark  and  erect  as  a  sentinel,  as  well  as 
its  parent  TOXUH  baccata,  also  dark,  if  not  altogether  statu- 
esque. Other  evergreens  bear,  of  course,  their  due  relation 
to  thin  harmony  of  color  and  form.  Graceful,  grotesque, 
weeping  spruces,  golden  and  fern-like  Japanese  cypresses 
or  retinosporas,  columnar  weeping  silver  firs,  and  fountain- 
like  weeping  hemlocks,  alike  contribute  each  its  separate 
mark  on  the  broad  effect  of  the  whole.  It  is  a  symphony 
of  trees  as  impressive  in  many  ways  as  the  swelling  chords 
of  the  church  organ.  Nor  does  the  velvet  turf,  extending 
in  broad,  unbroken  spaces,  fail  to  perfect  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  scene.  Statuesque  dwarf  evergreens,  as 
well  as  more  lofty  trees,  occupy  the  space  immediately 
about  the  church  walk,  or  fence,  leaving  wide  openings  be- 
tween. The  fence,  carrying  out  the  same  idea,  is  low,  with 
but  two  rails,  and  as  inconspicuous  as  possible.  Care  is 
taken  also  not  to  overload  the  lawn  with  choice,  low-grow- 
ing, sombre  evergreens,  as  represented  by  most  of  the  yews, 
spruces,  and  firs.  Just  as  the  effect  of  the  graver  elms, 
oaks,  and  maples  is  lightened  by  the  tints  of  the  yellow- 
wood  and  ginkgo,  so  the  evergreens  pass  here  and  there 
into  bright  golden  forms,  and  again  into  low  deciduous 
trees,  which  are  not,  in  any  sense,  shrubs.  Thus  the  glow- 
ing leaves  of  certain  Japanese  maples  are  used  as  single 
specimens,  and  especially  the  low-grafted  form  of  the  Kil- 
marnock  weeping  willow.  This  tree  is  very  symmetrical 
and  even  graceful,  if  properly  pruned;  but,  as  usually 
known  in  its  high-grafted  form,  its  stem  early  decays.  In 
the  sketch  accompanying  the  church  illustration  is  shown 
the  low-grafted  form,  which  is  comparatively  free  from 


THE  CEMETERY.  303 

bark-cracking  on  account  of  the  protection  the  branches 
afford  the  stem.  The  effect  of  the  employment  of  this 
weeping  plant  in  the  churchyard  is  specially  happy,  for 
it  hardly  represents  a  real  shrub,  which  is,  in  this  case, 
scarcely  admitted,  and  yet  it  breaks,  with  its  irregular, 
graceful  lines,  any  possible  monotony  among  the  statuesque 
dwarf  evergreens.  Of  course,  the  ivy  on  the  wall  and  the 
crimson  autumnal  tints  of  the  Japan  creeper  ( Ampelopsis 
tricuspidata)  are  here  in  all  their  glory.  Altogether,  there 
is  an  organic  completeness  in  the  selection  of  the  various 
plants  that  proves  the  lawn-planter  to  have  had  a  genuine 
sympathy  for  his  work,  as  well  as  abundant  practical 
knowledge. 

THE    CEMETERY. 

The  excessive  and  tasteless  use  of  stonework  in  our 
cemeteries  has  been  unnaturally  fostered  by  love  of  display 
and  by  the  fact  that  cut  stone  is  more  permanent  and  needs 
less  care  than  shrubs  and  flowers,  which  are  not  only  diffi- 
cult to  select  to-day,  but  liable  to  perish  to-morrow.  Hence 
grew  up  the  vulgar  fashion  of  using  stone  inordinately, 
nominally  in  honor  of  the  dead,  but  often  merely  for  the 
sake  of  fashionable  display. 

Plants,  however,  have  long  been  employed,  entirely  in- 
dependent of  what  the  fashion  might  be,  and  in  their  use, 
therefore,  lies  the  really  heart-felt  offering  to  the  memory 
of  the  departed.  More  than  twenty  years  ago,  one  or  two 
cemeteries,  notably  Spring  Grove,  Cincinnati ;  and  Laurel 
Hill,  Philadelphia,  attempted  a  reform  which  aimed  at 
doing  away  with  fenced  and  hedged  burial  plots.  Hartford 


304  THE  CEMETERY. 

laid  out  a  cemetery  on  a  similar  plan,  and  a  portion  of 
Woodlawn  Cemetery,  New  York,  has  a  park-like  character, 
unblemished  l>y  fences  or  even  tombstones.  Cincinnati  has 
certainly  been  the  pioneer  in  this  movement,  and  to  Mr. 
Strauch,  superintendent  of  Spring  Grove  Cemetery,  of 
that  city,  belongs  the  credit  of  most  persistently  and  sys- 
tematically following  out  what  may  really  be  called  a  new 
principle. 

In  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  New  York,  may  be  seen  a,  fail- 
example  of  what  is  generally  considered  a  good  park-like 
cemetery.  Shrubs  and  trees  are  planted  about  in  irregular 
fashion  upon  a  lawn.  The  lots  are  clustered  here  and  there 
in  groups,  and  their  boundaries  are  designated  by  small 
st<>nrs  or  stakes  hidden  in  the  grass,  the  graves  themselves 
being  made  in  an  inconspicuous  manner.  "With  the  exception 
of  creeping  vines,  not  a  tree,  shrub,  or  flower  is  planted 
unless  by  permission  of  the  authorities.  Flowers  are  allowed 
on  the  graves,  but  no  plants  bearing  flowers  may  be  set  out 
except  under  these  restrictions.  Everything  is  under  the 
control  of  a  central  authority,  which  is  supposed  to  know 
exactly  how  to  produce  the  finest  landscape  effect  possible 
under  the  circumstances.  That  such  effects  are  actually 
accomplished  maybe  fairly  questioned  by  competent  judges ; 
but  that  is  not  the  fault  of  the  system. 

Many  people,  however,  possess  cemetery  lots  where 
stones  exist,  and  they  must  make  the  best  of  things  as  they 
are.  They  may  not  wish  to  destroy  existing  evergreen 
hedges  entirely,  in  which  case  they  can  leave  a  plant  in  each 
corner  and  on  either  side  of  the  gate,  otherwise  they  will 
find  it  advisable  to  follow  the  plan  here  presented  as  regards 


THE  CEMETERY. 


305 


its  general  system.  This  system  consists  chiefly  in  open 
stretches  of  perfect  greensward  throughout  the  entire  lot, 
except  on  the  extreme  edges  and  at  the  Lead  and  foot  of 
the  graves.  No  formal  hedge  is  necessary,  but  a  border  of 
foliage,  to  break  and  modify  the  stiffness  of  the  necessarily 
stiff-looking  fence.  This  work  can  only  be  accomplished 
properly  by  dwarf  evergreens,  the  forms  of  which  are 


A    BURIAL    PLOT. 


statuesque  and  dignified,  as  comports  with  tlie  spirit  of  the 
place.  I  refer  to  such  plants  as  the  Swiss  stone  pine,  the 
conical  and  Gregory  spruces,  and  the  many  agreeable  dwarf 
varieties  of  retinosporas.  These  plants  have  the  supreme 
advantage  of  the  most  lovely  variety  and  contrast  of  color, 
when  properly  arranged,  and  have  at  the  same  time  the 
ability  to  retain  their  dwarf  forms  for  a  score  of  years  with 


306 


THE  CEMETERY. 


a  minimum  of  pruning.  Variety  of  color  is  too  little  con- 
sidered in  most  landscape  gardening  of  a  permanent  char- 
acter, and  the  unfitting  mature  size  of  many  plants  in 
confined  positions  is  equally  disregarded. 

This  lot,  it  will  be  seen,  has  a  weeping  beech  on  the 
border  of  the  lot,  and  three  or  four  slow-growing  plants — 
roses  and  variegated-leaved  Japanese  maples — by  the  grave 
itself.  This  is  designed  to  secure  a  peculiar  grace  for  this 
special  spot,  which  may  be  enhanced  by  allowing  a  vine  or 
two,  ivy  or  Japan  creeper,  to  twine  about  the  base  of  grave- 
stone or  monument.  All  plants  used  in  the  centre  of  the 
lot  should  be  pruned  and  managed  with  the  greatest  care, 
or  they  will  become,  in  spite  of  their  dwarf  ness,  too  luxuriant 
in  growth  for  the  place  they  occupy.  Above  all  things, 
the  vines  should  not  be  allowed  to  cover  all  the  surface  of 
the  stones  and  monuments.  Any  seeming  neglect  and 
disorder  must  detract  greatly  from  the  proper  dignity  of 
the  spot. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

NOOKERIES  ON  THE  HOME  GROUNDS. 


OW  shall  we  treat  our  garden  or 
lawn  nookeries  ?  to  coin  a  phrase 
which  means,  I  take  it,  an  aggrega- 
tion or  congeries  of  nooks  and  cor- 
ners combined  into  a  single  isolated 
picture.  On  general  principles 
nooks  of  the  garden  attain  a  value 
not  only  because  in  them,  as  Lord 

Bacon  quaintly  puts  it,  "  when  the  wind  blows  sharp  you 
may  walk  as  in  a  gallery,"  but  because  these  nooks  afford 
the  attraction  of  a  surprise,  that  may  be  in  the  truest  sense, 
when  properly  taken  advantage  of,  a  pleasurable  surprise. 
In  a  word,  there  must  be  a  succession  of  nooks,  surprises  in 
numbers,  all  within  the  limits  of  one  small  spot,  to  make 
your  true  nookery,  for  a  bare  corner  is  in  no  sense  a  nook- 
ery.  Memory  must  surely  recall  to  all  of  us  such  spots 
down  in  the  orchard  or  behind  the  barn,  and  in  the  edge  of 
the  woods  at  the  back  of  the  house.  The  old  apple  tree 
with  the  grape-vine  trailing  over  it,  down  by  the  drinking- 

307 


308    NOOKERIES  ON  THE  HOME  GROUNDS. 

hole  for  cattle  in  the  corner  of  the  orchard,  was  a  delight- 
ful nookery  in  its  way,  with  its  rich  turf  and  charming 
wild  flowers,  or  weeds  as  some  would  call  them.  Abound- 
ing, too,  in  nookeries  of  the  pleasantest  sort  was  the  old 
flower  garden,  with  its  box-lined  borders  and  larkspurs,  and 
hollyhocks,  where,  for  instance,  in  a  far  corner,  we  come  sud- 
denly on  an  old  arbor  festooned  with  grape-vine,  honey- 
suckle, and  trumpet  creeper.  I  think,  though,  according  to 
my  remembrance,  the  best  nookery  was  to  be  found  down 
on  the  edge  of  the  grove,  with  its  pool  of  water  on  one  side 
and  its  bays  of  shrubby  growth  and  aisles  of  tree  trunks  on 
the  other.  The  rushes  and  lilies  of  those  remote,  still 
waters,  and  the  wild  flowers  and  climbing  vines,  Virginia 
creepers  and  bitter-sweets  in  the  recesses  of  the  woods,  even 
now  linger  with  me  as  types  of  what  genuine  nookeries 
should  be. 

After  recalling  the  constituent  parts  of  such  scenes,  it 
ought  not  to  be  hard  to  adorn,  and,  if  necessary,  create 
these  pleasant  nookeries  in  our  gardens.  It  is  not  a  ques- 
tion of  extensive  or  even  exquisite  culture,  but  only  a  few 
well-directed  efforts  from  year  to  year  and  the  place  takes 
care  of  itself.  Every  one  surely  can  find  a  secluded  nook 
in  the  garden  or  lawn,  and  there  are  many  things  we  can 
do  of  the  easiest  nature  that  will  tend  greatly  to  perfect 
these  delightful  surprises.  Wild  flowers  can  be  fostered 
and  even  planted  in  such  a  way  as  to  preclude  all  idea 
whatever  of  the  presence  of  the  hand  of  man.  Hardy 
shrubs,  too,  may  be  used  in  the  most  effective  manner  for 
this  purpose,  by  planting  them  singly  or  in  colonies  in  a 
thoroughly  wild-wood  manner.  But,  I  believe,  nothing 


NOOKERIES  ON  THE  HOME  GROUNDS.    309 


better  than  the  intelligent  employment  of  climbers  and 
creepers  will  create  such  pleasant,  artistic  surprises  in  these 
nooks,  and  illustrate  the  proper  way  to  treat  them.  AVith 
them  alone  we  can  do  wonders.  Take  that  old  stump  be- 
fore you  and  wreathe  it  with  festoons  of  the  long,  crimson 
flowers  of  the  trumpet  creeper — Tecoma  radiccms.  Nothing 
in  its  way  can  be  finer  except  the  employment  of 
Tecoma  grandiflora,  with  its  great  orange-colored  flowers. 
So  vigorous  and  stout  are  these  climbers  that  they  soon 
grow  into  a  tossing,  wild  mass  of  leaves  and  trumpet-shaped 
flowers,  to  the  entire  obliteration  from  view  of  the  old  trunk 
over  which  they  grow.  Do  not  confuse,  however,  these  trum- 
pet flowers  with  those  of  the  scarlet  trumpet-vine  or  honey- 
suckle— Lonicera  sempervirens — with  the  bright,  glossy, 
green  leaves  that  often  last  nearly  all  winter.  Every  one 
thinks  of  honeysuckle  flowers  as  sweet-scented  and  yellow, 
white  or  red  ;  but  how  many  stop  to  examine  the  rich,  glos- 
sy shades  of  honeysuckle  leaves,  so  admirably  adapted  for 
carpeting  bare  spots  or  draping  heaps  of  stone  and  stumps 
and  tree  trunks  ?  There  are  many  varieties  of  honeysuckles 
which  are,  every  one  of  them,  worthy  of  employment. 

In  some  of  these  sheltered  nooks  we  might  even  use 
the  unequalled  English  ivy,  particularly  if  we  use  it  as  a 
carpet ;  but  we  certainly  can  have  the  so-called  Japan  ivy, 
Ampelopsis  Veitcfiii,  or  tricuspidata,  in  this  country  the  most 
perfect  of  hardy  creepers  for  clinging  by  rootlets  to  stone  or 
wooden  surfaces.  Few  plant  effects  can  surpass  in  summer 
the  glossy  color  and  artistic  forms  of  the  leaves  and  tendrils 
of  the  Japan  ivy,  or  the  crimson  and  gold  of  its  autumn 
tints.  But  we  must  not  forget  the  other  varieties  of  Ampe- 


310    NOOKERIES  ON  THE  HOME  GROUNDS. 


lopsis  in  contemplating  the  charms  of  the  Japan  ivy,  for  few 
things  are  more  effective  in  our  tangled  wild- wood  corners 
than  great  masses  of  the  common  Virginia  creepers — A. 
quinquefolia.  How  its  piled-up  leaves  festoon  the  tree 
trunks  with  overlying  masses  of  shining  green  in  summer 
ami  of  scarlet  and  blood-red  in  autumn  every  one  familiar 
with  fall  effects  must  remember.  Of  an  entirely  different, 
but  none  the  less  very  effective,  nature  is  the  Virginia  silk 
— Pcriploca  Grcsca, — with  long,  pointed,  shining  leaves, 
small  flowers,  and  brownish-red  stems,  reaching  out  with 
almost  unrivalled  speed  of  growth  away  up  the  stem  of  the 
tree.  For  the  adornment  of  the  upper  part  of  the  trees 
and  rock  masses  we  must  not  forget  the  rich  clusters  of  foli- 
age and  charming  garlands  of  flowers  of  the  purple  and 
white  wistarias.  Wistarias,  allowed  to  reach  out,  flower 
and  leaf  most  abundantly  in  their  upper  parts,  and  are, 
therefore,  specially  adapted  for  garlanding  a  tree  or  roof 
far  up  in  the  air  without  reference  to  covering  its  lower 
part.  Then  there  is  the  neat-leaved  akebia ;  the  bold  and 
picturesque,  large,  light-colored  leaved  Dutchman's  pipe; 
the  autumn-crimsoned  purple-berried  bitter-sweet,  all  lovely 
climbers  for  our  purpose.  But  of  all  charming  climbers,  I 
verily  believe  the  clematis  must  bear  the  palm.  The  vari- 
ety of  color  and  form  of  its  flowers  seems  endless,  extending 
as  it  does,  from  the  noble,  dark-purple  Clematis  Jackmani 
to  the  delicate,  small,  white  and  yellow  flowers  of  <?.  flam- 
mula  and  O.  apiifolia.  And  they  are  equally  fine  in  the 
nookery,  whether  carpeting  bare  spaces  of  ground  or  gar- 
landing and  draping  rocks  and  trees. 

Before  leaving  a  subject  thus  closely  allied  to  the  very 


NOOKERIES  ON  THE  HOME  GROUNDS.     311 

heart  of  nature  I  would  note  again,  with  increased  empha- 
sis, that  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  proper  treatment  of 
these  pleasant  corners,  whether  in  garden  or  woodland,  is 
that  it  may  be  said,  almost,  that  the  more  you  plant  and 
the  less  you  cultivate  and  cut  with  the  sickle,  scythe,  and 
pruning  knife,  the  more  surely  you  attain  the  end  desired. 
Conventional  methods  are  all  out  of  place  in  the  true  garden 
or  lawn  nookery.  Grasses,  mosses,  tree  trunks,  fantastic, 
"  lovely  climbers  and  wild  flowers,  weeds  even,  and  manie 
a  plant  that  the  fastidious  woulde  cast  forthe,"  tall,  purple 
thistles  and  asters,  and  great  docks  and  sorrels,  all  make  up 
a  picture  in  such  nooks,  that,  irradiated,  perchance,  by  the 
level  beams  of  the  setting  sun,  surpasses  "  beyond  compare  " 
any  number  of  cart-loads  of  scentless  bedding  plants, 
mechanically  arranged  and  ribbon-bordered. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

MY  FRIEND  THE  ANDROMEDA. 


DO  not  know  why  it  is,  but  the 
appearance  of  a  tree  frequently  pre- 
sents itself  to  my  mind  in  a  semi- 
personal,  or  I  might  almost  say 
human,  way.  This  is  fanciful,  no 
doubt,  but  only  another  instance  of 
the  facility  with  which  the  mind 
clothes  simple  objects  of  the  senses  with  its  own  less  simple 
drapery  of  the  imagination.  Association  of  ideas  may, 
perhaps,  account  for  it.  When  a  tree  is  graceful,  slender,  or 
drooping,  we  think  immediately  of  womanly  metaphors, 
like  the  poet's  epithet  of  "  Lady  of  the  Woods,"  as  applied 
to  the  birch  ;  and  I  fail  to  see  any  objection  to  such  an 
innocent  misconception.  It  not  only  pleases  without  doing 
harm  to  any  one,  but  it  does  more.  Such  an  attitude  of 
mind  tends  to  develop  a  more  sympathetic  consideration  and 
study  of  plants  under  varying  conditions.  Horses,  dogs,  and 
even  some  comparatively  worthless  human  beings,  gain  and 
have  gained,  during  all  time,  much  of  this  sympathetic 


MY  FRIEND    THE  ANDROMEDA.         313 


consideration.  May  we  not,  in  its  humble  sphere  of  life, 
plead  a  similar  claim  for  the  tree  ?  Every  member  of  the 
lawn  affords  us  a  more  profound  and  lasting  impression, 
viewed  from  this  seemingly  fanciful  standpoint  of  so-called 
personal  sympathy,  than  if  we  keep  ourselves  resolutely 
realistic  in  our  feelings.  I  assure  you,  gentle  reader,  results 
will  prove  that  the  encouragement  of  these  scientifically 
inaccurate  vagaries  of  the  imagination  is  neither  bad  for 
the  tree  nor  the  man,  nor  even  for  science.  My  thoughts  are 
disporting  themselves  somewhat  after  this  manner  to-day, 
while  my  attention  rests  musingly  on  a  lovely  specimen 
of  an  Andromeda  a?'borea,  known  also  as  Ovcydendrum 
arboreum,  or  sorrel  tree.  The  October  sun  and  air  enrich 
and  strengthen  its  tints  and  outline,  and,  in  more  than  one 
way,  its  beauty  arouses  the  most  palpable  feelings  of 
pleasure. 

To  most  observers,  indeed,  it  may  be  only  a  bright-leaved 
tree ;  but  to  me  as  I  look  at  it,  come  still  fairer  images  and 
associations.  I  remember  many  a  morning  before  this  one 
when  I  have  looked  with  pleasure  on  this  tree.  Last  sum- 
mer, in  July,  and  August  even,  I  used  to  enjoy  its  white- 
tasselled  flowers,  bending  and  delicately  graceful  as  those  of 
any  hot-house  plant.  I  insisted  then  on  pointing  it  out  to 
my  friends  with,  perhaps,  what  they  felt  to  be  the  mere 
pride  of  ownership  ;  and  was  wont  to  declare  that  here  was  a 
tree  that  not  only  bore  lovely  flowers,  when  scarcely  another 
tree  was  so  adorned,  but  that  also  proved  good  in  color  and 
attractive  in  form  throughout  the  season.  One  of  the  few 
plants  that  neither  paled  its  shining  green  nor  lost  its  firm- 
ness of  leaf  texture  from  May  to  October. 


814         MY  FRIEND   THE  ANDROMEDA. 


On  these  occasions  I  was  apt,  on  very  slight  provocation, 
to  grow  warm  in  praise  of  my  andromeda.  It  was  every- 
thing that  was  lovely.  The  leaves  were  always  shining  and 
gracefully  curving.  Bark  and  twigs  were  refined  and 
attractive  in  texture,  coloring,  and  picturesque  contour.  In 
every  way  this  plant  was  full  of  beauty  as  pleasing  as  that 
of  its  August  flowers.  Several  sober,  matter-of-fact  friends 
have,  I  know,  smiled  from  time  to  time  at  my  enthusiasm 
on  the  subject  of  this  andromeda.  But  what  matters  that? 
It  is  only  their  loss  that  they  are  unable  to  see  with  my 
eyes  ;  and,  in  one  sense,  my  gain.  The  charms  of  a  flower 
are,  to  the  possessor,  rather  increased  than  otherwise  by  the 
sense  that  few  people  have  the  wit  to  appreciate  them ;  but 
it  is  a  little  selfish,  I  know,  to  feel  thus,  although  entirely 
human,  and  I  am  trying  to  make  my  peace  with  conscience 
by  enlarging  on  the  topic  to-day. 

Truly,  this  brisk  October  morning,  as  I  am  dwelling  on 
the  lovely  crimson  color  of  my  favorite,  bright  with  sunlight 
and  dew,  and  adorned  with  pendant  seed  vessels,  I  am  dis- 
posed to  doubt  whether  my  enthusiasm,  in  all  its  fulness, 
has  not  been  after  all  somewhat  crude*,  and  unappreciative. 
Notwithstanding  its  evident  excellence,  it  occurs  to  me  now 
that  this  plant  has  beauty  that  is  still  greater  than  com- 
monly appears,  because  it  is  so  seldom  suitably  employed. 
It  is  not,  like  your  oak  or  beech,  sufficient  unto  itself  in  its 
isolated  grandeur ;  but  it  is  a  tree  that  needs  association  to 
develop  its  highest  possibilities  of  attraction.  Like  some 
rich  beauty,  whose  loveliness  is  stimulated  and  brought  out 
by  the  charms  of  other  forms  and  faces,  to  pale  again  when 
left  alone  or  neglected ;  or  like  the  gifted  and  witty  mind 


MY  FRIEND   THE  ANDROMEDA.         315 


that  needs  the  sympathy  of  kindred  spirits  to  put  it  on  its 
mettle,  the  andromeda  silently  craves  to  be  artistically  dis- 
posed and  grouped  with  other  plants. 

I  comprehend  this  morning,  seemingly  for  the  first  time, 
that  my  andromeda,  my  dear  andromeda,  is  ungainly.  A 
crooked,  slender  stem,  though,  in  a  certain  way,  fine  and 
picturesque,  supports  its  graceful  mass  of  foliage  in  a 
decidedly  unsatisfactory  way.  Surely  this  plant  was  not 
made  to  stand  alone.  On  the  contrary,  I  am  inclined  to 
think  it  decidedly  affects  society.  Next  spring,  therefore,  I 
am  going  to  keep  it  in  the  conspicuous  position  it  now 
occupies,  but,  at  the  same  time,  make  it  happy  by  surround- 
ing it  with  friends  and  relatives.  A  mass  of  rhododendrons 
shall  cluster  in  its  rear,  for  they  show  a  fine  relation  to  the 
andromeda  in  both  appearance  and  nature  ;  and  they  are, 
moreover,  rich  and  noble  plants.  These  rhododendrons,  in 
the  outline  of  their  grouping,  will  present  deep  bays  and 
promontories  of  foliage,  with  points  and  flanks  and  bare 
places,  masked  with  choice  low-growing  shrubs,  like  ma- 
honias  and  evergreen  thorns,  the  bush  form  of  Chinese 
wistarias,  and  the  golden  and  variegated  weigelia.  My 
andromeda  shall  not  appear  exactly  on  one  of  the  points  of 
these  rhododendrons,  to  which  its  leaves  bear  too  close 
a  relation  for  intimate  grouping ;  but  it  shall  be  isolated 
and,  at  the  same  time,  surrounded  and  connected  with  the 
mainland  of  foliage  by  the  mahonias  and  evergreen  thorns. 
The  weak  parts  of  the  base  of  my  plant  will  be  thus 
masked,  as  so  many  plants  apt  to  develop  naked  bases  need 
to  be  masked,  and  its  more  excellent  qualities  brought  out 
in  finest  relief  by  its  association. 


316         MY  FRIEND  THE  ANDROMEDA. 


Several  years  hence,  perhaps,  I  may  be  looking  at  ray 
andromeda,  in  its  new  position,  as  I  am  looking  at  it  now, 
and,  I  am  sure,  in  that  case,  it  will  comport  itself  with 
greater  dignity  and  grace  than  it  has  ever  done  aforetime. 
Its  crimson  tints  will  seem  richer  when  relieved  against  the 
shining  green  of  the  mahonias  and  rhododendrons;  and  its 
naturally  taller  form  will  rise  with  more  striking  and 
harmonious  effect  from  amid  the  broad-spreading  masses  of 
adjacent  greenery.  And  why  should  I  not  give  fitting 
companions  to  my  fair  andromeda  ?  It  is  to  me  of  greater 
value  than  my  pictures,  and  yet  I  re-hang  and  re-group  my 
pictures  with  the  greatest  care.  Certainly,  sympathy  of 
this  sort  is  not  wasted  on  plants,  which  should  be  treated  as 
sensitive  children  that  need  to  be  deeply  influenced  in  the 
best  way  by  sympathetic  personal  comprehension  and  care. 


INDEX. 


Abies  amabilis,  140 

Cephalonica,  84 

Cilicica,  83 

compacta,  84,  140 

concolor,  84 

Douglasii,  84 

lasiocarpa,  84 

nobilis,  83 

Parsonsii  84,  140 

pectinata  pendula,   30 

pichta,  83 
Acalypha,  223,  232 
Acer  Colchicum  rubrum,  55,  57 

dasycarpum,  55 

Japonicum,  58 
aureum,  58 

Isetum,  55,  57 

Lorbergii,  57 

macrophyllum,  55 

Pennsylvanicum,  150 

platanoides  Schwerdlerii,  56 

polymorphum,  28,  57,  122,  130 

pseudo-platanus,  55 
Leopoldii,  56 
lutescens,  56 

rubrum,  55,  122 
Achillea,  213 

fillipendulina,  175 

millefolium  roseum,  176 

Ptarmica,  fl.  pi.,  176 

tomentosa,  170 
Aconite,  winter,  169 
Aconitum  autumnale,  191,  214 
Adonis,  spring,  160 

vernalis,  160 
yEsculus  parviflora,  101 


Ajuga  reptans  alba  and  rubra,  161 
Akebia,  113 

quinata,  28,  104 
Alder,  black,  131 

cut-leaved   imperial,  37 

Japanese,  37 
Alders,  28 

American,  37 

European,  37 
Almond,       white,       double        flowering, 

51 
Alnus  firma,  37 

imperialis  laciniata,  37 
Alternanthera,  209,  223,  225,  227 

amoena,  228 

aurea,  228 
nana,  228 

paronychioides,  228 

versicolor,  228 
Althea,  99,  262 
Alyssum  saxatile,  160 
Amarantus,  225 

salicifolius,  232 
Amorpha,  100 
Ampelopsis,   131 

tricuspidata,  28,  104,  131,  290 

Veitchii,  131 
Andromeda  arborea,  28,  126,  313 

Mariana,  101 
Anemone,  212 

Caroliniana,  159 

hepatica,  165 

Japonica,  191 

nemorosa,  159 

patens,  var.  Nuttalliana,  159 

pulsatilla,  160 

sylvestris,  160 


317 


318 


INDEX. 


Anthemis  tinctoria,  176 
Anthericum  liliago,  176 

liliastrum,  176 
Aquilegia,  213 

Canadensis,  159 

cccrulea,  170 

chrysantha,  170 

vulgaris,  171 
Arabis  alpina,  161 
Aralia  Japonica,  28,  107 

spinosa,  28 

Arbor  vitae,  American,  82 
Asiatic,  82 
Chinese  golden,  146 
Arbutus,  trailing,  212 
Architecture  on  small  lawns,  employment 

of,  267 

Arenaria  verna,  160, 
Aristolochia  sipho,  104 
Anneria  maritima,  171 
Arundo,  193 

donax,  242 

variegata,  210 
Asclepias,  176,  214 

tuberosa,  176 
Asperula  odorata,  171 
Asphodels,  177 
Asphodelus  luteus,  177 
Aster  amelhis,  var.  Bessarabicus,  178 

longifolius,  var.  formosus,  191 

Novoe-Anglice,  191, 

ptarmicoides,  178 

Shortii,  191 
Asters,  178,  191 
Astilbe  Japonica,  163,  213 
Aubrietia  I.eichtlinii,  161 
Aubrietias,  161 
Aucubrefolia,  43 
Autumn,  191 
Azalea,  American,  49 

am<L'na,  30,  48 

Ghent,  29,  49 

hardy,  68,  69,  264 

mollis,  49 

B 

Bachelor's  button,  174 
Bamboo,  242 


Bamboo,  white,  210 
Banana,  223,  234 
Baptisia,  australis,  178 
Barrenwort,  162 

Bedding,  around  Arsenal,   Central   Park, 
224 

color  of,  Union  Square,  218 

elliptical  arrangement  of,  225 

existing  prejudice  against,  217 

grass  type  of,  227 

methods  of  preparing  plans  for,  225 

narrow  border  of   a   circular   fountain 
basin,  etc.,  222 

planting  of,  236 

pruning  or  pinching  of,  227 

shrub  background,  222 
form  of,  230 

solid  background,  220 

spring,  236 

summer,  236 

time  of  planting,  236 

tree  type  of,  235 
Beech,  American,  in,  112 

European,  in 

purple,  58,  59,  252 

weeping,  28,  in,  152 
Bell-flower,  large,  189 
Berberis,  30, 

aquifolium,  30 

Japonicum,  30 

Thunbergii,  131 
Berberry,  purple,  130 
Betula  Dahurica,  38 
Biota  elegantissima  aurea,  146 
Birch,  black,  37 

canoe,  37 

cut-leaved,  37 

purple,  252 

purple-leaved,  37 

white,  58,  120,  262 

yellow,  37 
Bitter-sweet,  132 
Blazing-star,  186,  213 
Bleeding-heart,  plumy,  172 
Blood-root,  212 
Bluet's,  158 
Bois  de  Boulogne,  272 
Bowman's  root,  182 


INDEX. 


319 


Broom,  Scotch,  29 

Bugle,  white-  and  red-leaved,  161 

Bulbocodium  vernum,  164 

Butter  and  eggs,  or  single  orange  phoenix, 

1 66 

Butterfly  weed,  176 
Buttonwood,  American,  92 


Caladium,  243 
Callicarpa  purpurea,  131 
Callirrhoe  involucrata,  178 
Calycanthus  floridus,  72 

Icevigatus,  72 
Campanula  Carpatica,  178 

grandi  flora,  189 

rotundifolia,  171 
Campanulas,  178 
Candy-tuft,  213 

corris-leaved  perennial,  172 
Canna,  206,  219,  223,  224,  232,  243 

Ehmanni,  233 

Indica,  233 

Cardinal  flower,  193,  213 
Cassia  Marylandica,  179 
Castor-oil  plant,  224,  235 
Catalpa,  62,  107 

Bungeii,  107 

dwarf,  107 

golden,  94 
Cat-tail,  249 
Cedar,  Atlas,  29,  282 

of  Lebanon,  143 

red,  29 

Cedrus  Atlantica,  29 
Celastrus  scandens,  132 
Cemetery,  Japan-creeper  for,  306 

maples,  Japanese,  for,  306 

park-like  arrangement  of,  304 

plants  for,  304 

roses  for,  306 

spruce,  conical,  for,  305 
Gregory  for,  305 

Swiss  stone  pine  for,  305 

Woodlawn,  New  York,  304 
Centaurea  candidissima,  230 
Cerastium  Biebersteinii,  161 

tomentosum,    162 


Cercis  Japonica,  108 
Chamomile,  yellow,  176 
Cherries,  double  flowering,  42 
Cherry,  Japan  weeping,  43 

white,  double  flowering,  43 
Chionanthus  Virginica,  62,  94,  107 
Chionodoxa  LuciliK,  169 
Chrysanthemum,  191,  214 

lacustre,  191 

maximum,  191 
Chrysanthemums,  Chinese  and  Japanese, 

198 
Churchyard,  cypress,  Japanese,  for,  302 

elm,  American,  for,  299 

Camperdown  weeping,  for,  300 

fir,  Nordmann's,  for,   301 

ginkgo,  for,  299 

hemlock,  weeping,  for,  302 

ivy  or  creeper,  Japan,  for,  303 

maple,  Japanese,  for,  302 

oak,  pyramidal,  for,  301 

silver-fir,  weeping,  for,  302 

sophora,, weeping,  for,  300 

spruce,  weeping,  for,  302 

Taxus  baccata,  for,  302 

willow,  Kilmarnock  weeping,  for,  302 

yellow-wood,  for,  300 

yew,  Irish,  for,  302 
Cladrastris  tinctoria,  120 
Clematis,  28,  76,  205 

apiifolia,  104 

Davidiana,  179 

flammula,  104 

integrifolia,  179 

Jackmanii,  77 

lanuginosa,  77 

patens,  77 

recta,  179 

Virginiana,  104 

white,  sweet-scented,  104 
Clethra  alnifolia,  29,  100 
Coffee-tree,  Kentucky,  28,  94,  120 
Colchicum  autumnale,  199 
Coleus,  206,  219,  223,  231,  232 

golden  bedder,  232 

Kirkpatrick,  232 

Verschaffeltii,  232 
Columbine,  Canada,  159 


320 


INDEX. 


Columbine,  golden,  170                                     Delphinium  formosum,  180 

hardy,  213 

graiuliflorum,  180 

Rocky  Mountain,  170 

elatum,  180,  204 

Columbines,  179 

Delphiniums,  179 

Colutea,  100 

Deutzia  crenata,  72 

Compass-plant,  iy<> 

fl.  pi.,  72 

Cone-flower,  large,  195 

Fortune!,  72 

Coreopsis,  213 

gracilis,  48,  72 

lanceolata,  191 

scabra,  72 

Cornus  florida,  40,  126 

fl.  pi.,  72 

sanguinea,  150 

Dianthus  barbatus,  172 

alba,  29 

deltoides,  171 

Corydalis  nobilis,  163 

plumarius,  172 

Cotoneaster,  buxi  folia,  30 

Dicentra  eximia,  172 

pyracantha,  30,  108 

spectabilis,  164,  172 

Cranberry-tree,  29 

Dictamnus  fraxinella,  180 

Cratregus,  30 

Dielytra  spectabilis,  164 

coccinea,  28 

Diervilla,  or  vveigelia,  74 

crus-galli,  28,  293 

Digitalis  purpurea,  181 

oxyacantha,  47,  48 

Dogwood,  too,  290 

pyracantha,  30,  108 

red-stemmed,  29,  130,  150, 

289 

Creeper,  Virginia,  131,  290 

white  flowering,  40,  126 

Crocus,  167,  204 

Dracocephalum  Ruyschianum 

,  181 

autumn,  199 

Dragon's  head,  hyssop-leaved 

181 

Susianus,  168 

Drainage,  4 

versicolor,  168 

Dropwort,  190 

Crucianella  stylosa,  170 

Dutchman's  Pipe,  28,  104 

Cucumber-tree,  64 

yellow,  64 

E 

Currant,  Indian,  13 

Cydonia  Japonica,  39 

Echeveria  metallica,  228 

Cyperus  papyrus,  289 

secunda  glauca,  228 

Cypress,  Chinese,  102 

Echeverias,  209,  219,  228 

Cypress,  obtuse-leaved,  Japanese,  151 

Eloeagnus  horten-is,  29,  113, 

128 

Southern,  102 

longipes,  29,  113 

vine,  205 

Elephant  ear,  235,  243 

Elm,  American,  152,  293 

1) 

cork-barked,  152 

weeping,  152 

Daffodils,  165,  166,  167 

Emphasis,  parts  for,  218 

Dahlias,  single  and  double,  199 

sky  line,  construction  of,  244 

Daisies,  Michaelmas,  191 

Epimedium,  162 

Daisy,  Giant,  195 

macranthum,  163 

turfing,  212 

E  ran  this  hyemalis,  169 

Daphne  Cneorum,  113 

Erianthus  Ravennre,  210 

Genkwa,  29,  41 

Erica  herbacea  carnea,  157 

Daphne  Japanese,  41 

Eryngium  alpinum,  181 

Mezereum,  41                                                   Eulalia  Japonica,  243 

INDEX. 


321 


Eulalia  Japonica,  variegata,  210 

zebrina,  210 
Euonymus  alatus,  29 

European,  131 

lalifolius,  130 
Euphorbia  corollata,  181 
Exochorda  grandiflora,  73 


Fagus  ferruginea,  112 

sylvatica  pendula,  1 10 
Fences  on  small  places,  treatment  of,  260 
Festuca  glauca,  210 
Fever  few,  or  golden  feather,  228 
Fir,  Cephalonian,  84 

compact  silver,  84 

dwarf  silver,  140 

Grecian  silver,  83 

Hudson  Bay,  84 

lovely  silver,  140 

noble  silver,  83,  140 

Nordmann's  silver,  83,  140 

Parson's  silver,  140 

Siberian  silver,  83 

silver,  140 

silver,  weeping,  30 
Flax,  perennial,  173 
Forget-me-not,  creeping,  212 
Forsythia  Fortunii,  39 

suspensa,  29,  39 

viridissima,  29,  38 
Fothergilla,  alnifolia,  29 
Fountain-basins,    water-lilies    suited    to, 

250 
Foxglove,  common,  181 

purple,  213 

Fraxinus  concavsefolia,  94 
Fringe,  white,  94 
Funkia  ovata,  182 

subcordata,  182 


Gaillardia  grandiflora,  182 
Galanthus  Elwesii,  169 

nivalis,  169 
Garden,  arrangement  of   202 


Gas-plant,  180 
Gay-feather,  Kansas,  1 86 
Genista  scoparia,  29 

tinctoria,  29 
Gentiana  acaulis,  162,  213 

Andrewsii,  192 
Gentian,  213 

closed,  192 

stemless,  162,  213 
Geranium,  217,  219,  223,  225,  232 

blood-red,  182 

General  Grant,  230 

horseshoe,  230 

sanguineum,  182 

silver-leaved,  230 

Mountain  of  Snow,  231 
Gillenia  trifoliata,  182 
Ginkgo,  Japan,  120,  152 

tree,  29 

Globe,  European,  175 
Glory  of  the  snow,  169 

of  the  spruces,  80 
Glyptostrobus  sinensis.  102 
Gnaphalium,  209 
Golden  bell,  38 

weeping,  39 
Golden-rod,  196,  214 
Golden  tuft,  160 
Grading,  semi-artificial,  20 

the  lawn,  6,  7 

wholly  artificial,  18 
Grandmother's  garden,  201 
Grape-vine,  205 

Grass  seed,  difficulty  in  securing  pure,3, 10 
for  lawns,  varieties  of ,  n,  12 
planting  for  lawns,  3,  IT 
Groundsel,  195 
Grounds,  sloping,  1 8,  20 
Gynerium  argenteum,  210 
Gypsophila  paniculata,  183 


H 


Harebell,  171,  178,  213 

Carpathian,  178 

Hawthorn,   Paul's   red    double-flowering 
48 

European,  or  English,  47 


322 


INDEX. 


Hazel,  purple,  60 
Heart,  bleeding,  164 
Heath,  winter,  157 
Hdeiiium  Hoopesii,  183 
Helianthus  Maximiliana,   192 

orgyalis,   192 
Helleborus  niger,  197 

altifolius,  198 

Hemerocallis  Thunbergii,  192 
Hemlock,  80,  282 

weeping,  29 

Hepatica  triloba,  165,  212 
Herbaceous  plants,  arrangement  of,  200 
Hercules'  club,  28 
Hibiscus  Californicus,  193 

Moscheutos,  192 

Syriacus,  99,  262 
Hollyhock,  183,  204 
Honey-locust,  28,  293 
Honeysuckle,  28 

Belgian   striped   monthly,  76 

bush,  72 

Canadian,  76 

evergreen,  113 

Hall's  evergreen, 76 

Tartarian  bush,  72 
Hornbeam,  American,  28 
Horse-chestnut,  61,  101 

dwarf  flowering,  101 

red-flowering,  61 
Hoopesii,  183 
House  on  small  place,  position  of,  260 

264 

Houstonia  ccerulea,  158 
Hyacinths,  168 
Hyacinthus  orientalis,  168 
Hydrangea,  264 

Japan  climbing,  77 

paniculata  grandiflora,  99 
Hypericum,  99 

I 

Iberis,  213 

corrsefolia,  172 
Ilex  verticillata,  131 
Indigo,  blue  false,  178 
Iris,  Chalcedonian,  169 

crested  dwarf,  164 


Iris,  cristata,  164 

Florentine,  173 

German,  184 

Germanica,  184 

golden-netted,  169 

Iberica,  169 

Japan,  214 

Kaempferi,  184 

pumila,  164 

reticulata,  169 

Siberian,  173 

Siberica,  var.  haematophylla,  173 

verna,  164 
Itea  Virginica,  29 
Ivy,  Japanese,  28 


Jasmine,  yellow,  34,  38 
Jasminum  nudiflorum,  29,  34,  38 
Jonquil,  fragrant  or  campernelle,  166 
Judas-tree,  Japan,  108 
Juniper,  bluish-tinted,  146 

common  Canadian,  82 

creeping,  30,  282 

Irish,  82 

savin,  30 

Swedish,  82 

weeping,  82 
Juniperus  Canadensis,  82 

oblonga  pendula,  82 

prostrata,  29 

Sabina,  30 

squamata,  29 

tamariscifolia,  30 

venusta,  82 

Virginiana  glauca,  29,  82 

K 

Kalmia  latifolia,  30,  70 
Kerria  Japonica,  29,  74 
Kniphofia  alceoides,  210 
Kcelreuteria,  59 


Laburnum,  common,  63 
Scotch,  63 


INDEX. 


323 


Landscape  gardening,  geometric  style  of, 

261 

Larch,  29 
Japan,  38 

weeping,  29,  38,  152 
Larix  Europsea  glauca,  38 

leptolepsis,  38 
Larkspur,  179,  204 
beautiful,  180 
large-flowered,  180 
tall,  180 

Lathyrus  latifolius,  193 
Laurel,  broad-leaved,  36 
Lavender,  sea,  174 

Lawn   after    sowing  grass-seed,    mainte- 
nance of,  13,  14 

arrangement  of  Washington  Irving's,2O5 
exhibition  of  individual  plants  on,  250 
plantations,  arrangement  of,  6 
planting  at  small  places,  258 
railway,  creeping  juniper  for,  297 
moneywort  for,  297 
mugho  pine  for,  297 
periwinkle  for,  297 
plans  for,  297 
plants  suited  for,  297 
retinospora  for,  297 
rhododendron  for,  297 
stone  pine  for,  297 
treatment  of,  296 
Virginia  creeper  for,  297 
thorough  preparation  of,  238 
Lawns,  cultivation  of,  5 
grading  of  surface  of,  263 
small,  approach  to  house  on,  265 
cost  of  plants  for,  269 
location  of  trees  on,  264 
treatment  of,  265 
vegetable  garden  on,  265 
vistas  on,  261 
Ledebourii,  72 
Leek,  cobweb  house,  197 

common  house,  197 
Liatris,  186,  213 
pycnostachya,  186 
spicata,  186 
Lilac,  50 
Chinese,  51 


Lilac,  co-nmon,  51 

Persian,  51 

Lilies,  water,  nymphzeas,  248 
Lilium  auratum,   185 

Batemannise,  185 

Canadense,  185 

pardalinum,  185 

pomponium,  169 

Pyrenaicum,  186 

speciosum,  185 

superbum,  185 

tigrinum,  185 

splendens,  185 
Lily,  blue  plantain,  183 

day,  183,  192,  213 

hardy  white,  253 

leopard,  185 
Lily-pond,  cost  of  plants  for,  246 

importance  of  open  spaces  of,  246 

in  Central  Park,  construction  of,  251 

instructions  for  making,  242 

natural  effect  of,  249 

right  way  to  make  a,  241 

wrong  way  to  make  a,  239 
Lily,  Saint  Bernard's,  176 

small  white,  253 

tiger,   185 

Turk's  cap,  185 

Cape  Cod  water,  253 

water,  in  the  pool,  Central  Park,  253 
in  Union  Square,  appearance  of,  252 

white  plantain,  183 

yellow  turban,  186 

Zanzibar  water,  253 
Linden,  American,  293 

golden-barked,  no,  150 

red-twigged,  150 
Linum  perenne,  173 
Liquid  ambar  styraciflua,  95,  124 
Liriodendron  tulipifera,  63 
Live  forever,  195,  212 
Liver  leaf,  165,  212 
Lobelia  cardinalis,  193 
Lonicera  Canadensis,  76 

flexuosa,  72 

fragrantissima,  29,  72,  290 

Halleana,  76 

sempervirens,  104 


INDEX. 


Lonicera,  sinensis,  104 

Tartarica,  72 

xylosteum,  72 
Loosestrife,  purple,  186 
Lotus,  246,  252 

best  soil  for,  246 

leaves,  appearance  of,  247 

yellow,  248 
Lychnis  Chalcedonica,  186 

scarlet,  1 86 

Lycium  barbarum,  29,  75,  99 
Lythrum  Salicaria,   186 

viscaria  splendens,  187 

M 

Magnolia  acuminata,  64 

Asiatic,  hardiness  of,  46 

broad-leaved,  65,  96 

Chinese,  44,  46 

conspicua,  44 

cordata,  64 

dark  purple  Japanese,  46 

glauca,  65,  67 
longifolia,  65 

gracilis,  46 

Halleana,  46 

hypoleuca,  66,  67 

Kobus,  66 

Lennei,  44,  46 

macrophylla,  46,  65,  95 

Norbetiana,  44 

parviflora,  66,  67 

purpurea,  46 

slender,  46 

Soulangeana,  44 

stellata,  44,  46 

swamp,  65 

sweet-scented,  65 

Thompsoniana,  65 

tripetala,  66 

umbrella,  66 

Watsonii,  66 

white  swamp,  65 
Mahonia,  30,  113,  131,  146 

aquifolium,  30 
Mallow,  crimson,  178 

garden,  194 


Mallow,  marsh  rose,  192 
Maltese  cross,  186 
Malus  aucubasfolia,  43 
coronaria  odorata,  43 
Halleana,  43 
spectabilis,  43 
MalvaAlcea,  194 

moschata  alba,  194 
Manures  for  the  lawn,  8 
Maple,  ash-leaved,  55 
broad-leaved,  55 
English  field,  55 

Japanese,  28,  55,  57,  122,  130,  264 
Norway,  55,  61,  119,  293 

Schwerdler's  purple-leaved,  56 
scarlet,  55 
silver,  55 
striped,  55,  150 
sugar,  55,  122,  293 
swamp,  122 
sycamore,  55 
Leopold's,  56 
silver-leaved,  56 
Meadow-rue,  174 
Meadow-saffron,  199 
Meadow-sweet,  190 
Menispermum  Canadense,  104 
Milfoils,  175 

Milkweed  (Asclepias),  214 
Mock  orange,  71 
Monarda  didyma,  187 
Moneywort,   212 
Monk's-hood,  179 

autumn,  191,   214 
Morning-glory,  205 
Mountain  everlasting,  212 
Mouse  ear,  161 
Munstead  giant,  171 
Musa  ensete,  234,  235 
Myrica  cerifera,  29 

N 

Narcissus,  165 
bicolor,  1 66 
incomparabilis,  166 
maximus,  166 
odorus.  1 66 


INDEX. 


325 


Narcissus,  poeticus,  166 

pseudo-narcissus,  166 
Nasturtium,  228,  229 
Nelumbium  or  lotus,  246 

speciosum,  246,  252 
Noble  fumitory,  163 
Nookeries  on  the  home  grounds,  307 

akebia  for,  310 

ampelopsis  quinquefolia  for,  310 

ampelopsis    tricuspidata,    or    Veitchii, 
for,  309 

arrangement  of,  308 

clematis  apiifolia  for,  310 
flam  null  a  for,  310 

Dutchman's  pipe  for,  310 

Japan  ivy  for,  309 

lonicera  sempervirens  for,  309 

Periploca  Grseca  for,  310 

Tecoma  grandiflora  for,  309 
r ad i cans,  309 

trumpet-creeper  for,  309 

trumpet-vine  or  honeysuckle  for,  309 

Virginia  creeper  for,  310 

Virginia  silk,  310 

wistaria,  310 
Nymphaea  alba  candidissima,  253 

Devoniensis,  253 

pygmaea,  253 

Zanzibarensis  azurea,  253 
rosea,  253 

O 

Oak,  chestnut,  96 

English,  97,  123 

golden,  97,  123 

over  cup,  152 

pin,  96,  112 

pyramidal,  29,  97,   112,   120,  123,  152, 
301 

red,  96 

scarlet,  96 

Turkey,  123 

weeping,  97 

white,  96 

willow,  96 

willow-leaved.  112 
CEnothera  Missouriensis,  187 
Oleaster,  garden,  128 


Opuntia  Rafinesquii,  187 

Orris-root,  173 

Oxydendrum  arboreum,  126,  313 

1' 

Pseonia  officinalis,  173 

tenuifolia,  fl.  pi.,  173 
Pampas  grass,  210,  243 
Pansies,  236 
Pansy,  bird's  foot,  158 
Papaver  bracteatum,  188 

nudicaule,  var.  croceum,  188 
orientale,  188 
Pare  du  Chaumont,  273 
Park,  Central,  acres  in,  number  of,  291 
beginning  of,  date  of,  273 
bridle  path  of,  arrangement  of,  290 
competitive  plans  for,  273 
forest  glade  of,  284 
gorge  with  rhododendrons,  288 
green,  72d  St.  and  5th  Ave.,  arrange- 
ment of,  277 

Harlem  Meer,  neighborhood  of,  288 
highlands  of,  28 

lawn,  children's  and  nurses',  arrange- 
ment of,  277 

lower  meadow,  arrangement  of,  277 
mall,  arrangement  of,  276 
miles  of  paths  and  roads  in,  291 
north  meadow  of,  284,  290 
pin-oaks  of,  284,  290 
play-grounds  of,  291 
pond  near  72d  St.,  289 
ramble,  arrangement  of,  280 
roads,  transverse,  of,  284 
rock,  overhanging,  in,  286 
selection  of  site  of,  272,  273 
terrace,  276 

the  lake,  arrangement  of,  280 
Hyde,  lack  of  variety  in,  272 
Phoenix  (Dublin),  272 
small,  architectural  adornments  on,  293 
Canal  St.,  New  York,  care  and  size 

of,  294 

city  squares  resembling,  292 
fences  for,  292 
fountain  basins  for,  293 
plants  for,  293 


326 


Pasque  flower,  European,  160 
Pea,  everlasting,  193 
Peach,  double  flowering,  43 
Pear,  Western  nrickly,  187 
Pennsylvania  catchfly,  163 
Pentstemon,  213 

barbatus,  var.  Torreyi,  189 

cobaea,  189 

Peonies,  herbaceous,  173,  204 
Pepper-bush,  sweet,  too 
Pergola,  wistarias  on,  289 
Periwinkle,  212 
Persimmon,  American,  108 

Japanese,  108 

Petalostemon  decumbens,  189 
Pheasant's  eye,  166 
Philadelphus,  71,  289,  293 

coronarius,  72 

dwarf  golden,  72 

grandiflorus,  72 

laxus,  72 

speciosus,  72 
Phlox  amoena,  159 

annual,  174 

Carolina,  174 

dwarf,  159,  1 60 

garden,  194,  204,  213 

maculata,  194 

nivalis,  159 

paniculata,  194 

starry,  174 

stellaria,  174 

subulata,  159 

white,  159 
Piceaalba,  80 

excelsa  elata,  29 
Gregoriana,  80 
inverta,  29 

Orientalis,  141 

polita,  81,  142 

pungens,  85,  142 
Pine,  Austrian,  144 

Bhotan,  82,  144,  145,  282 

dwarf  Scotch,  82,  144 

dwarf  white,  1 44 

golden  Japanese,  145 

Japan  parasol,  30,  145 

mugho,  30,  83,  144 


INDEX. 


Pine,  stone,  282 

sun-ray,  145 

Swiss  stone,  144 
Pink,  cushion,   172 

fire,  174 

garden,  172,  203,  213 

maiden's,  171,  172 

moss,  159 

wild,  163 
Pinus  cembra,  30,  144,  282 

excelsa,  82,  144,  145,  282 

Massoniana  variegata,  145 

mughus,  144 
compacta,  144 
uncinata,  144 

strobus  compacta,  143 
Pitcher-plant,  249 
Plane-tree,  Oriental,  92,  293 
Platycodon  grancliflorum,  189 
Plumbago  Larpentse,  195 
Plum,  double  flowering,  43 
Poet's  narcissus,  166 
Point  of  view  on  small  places,  importance 

of,  263 

Poker,  red-hot,  193 
Pond-lilies,  habit  of,  246 
Pontederia  crassipes,  249 
Poplar,  98, 

aspen,  38 

balsam,  98 

Lombardy,  29,  244,  248 
health  of,  244 

tulip,  122 

Poppies,  hardy  herbaceous,  188 
Poppy,  great  scarlet,  188 

Iceland,  188 

water,  249 

Populus  tremuloides,  38 
Portulaca  vine,  204 
Primrose,  English,  163 

evening,  187,  194 
Primula  vulgaris,  163 
Prinos  verticillata,  29 
Privet,  113,  290,  293 

Californian,  210,  214 
Pruning  vines  on  rocks,  26 
Primus  cerasus,  fl.  p].,  42 
Pseudotsuga  Douglasii,  84 


INDEX. 


327 


Pyrethrum,  209,  223,  225,  228 

aureum,  228 

uliginosum,  195 
Pyrus  Japonica,  39 


Quercus  concordia,  123 
Daimio,  112 
palustris,  96, 
phellos,  96,  112 
robur  pedunculata  Concordia,  97 

var.  pedunculata,  97 
Quince,  Japan,  39 

large-flowered,  40 

R 

Ranunculus  speciosus,  fl.  pi.,  174 
Raspberry,  purple-flowering,  188 
Red-hot  poker,  210 
Retinospora  obtusa,  30 
Retinosporas,  146,  282 

golden,  146 
Rhododendron,   30,  68,  69,  113,  146,  206 

Catawbiense,  35 

Dauricum,  35 
Rhodora  Canadensis,  40 
Rhodotypus  kerrioides,  29 
Rhus  cotinus,  68 

glabra  laciniata,  29,  129 

Osbecki,  124,  129,  130 
Ribbon-grass,  variegated,  210 
Rock-cress,  212 

Alpine,  161 
Rocks  on  sloping  ground,  arrangement  of, 

26 

Rock  tunica,  175 
Rockwork,  planting  vines  in,  28 

right  way  to  make,  15,  29 

semi-artificial,  example  of,  22 

tree-  and  shrub-planting  in,  28 

wholly  artificial,  illustrations  of,  18 

wrong  way  to  make,  30 
Rosa  rugosa,  80,  289 
Rose,  Baltimore  Belle, 

Baronne  Prevost,  78 

Christmas,  197,  214 

climbing,  78 


Rose,  damask,  203 

General  Jacqueminot,  78 

hardy,  78 

Japan  Ramanas,  8r 

Mme.  Plantier,  78 

Queen  of  the  Prairies,  78,  190 
Rubus  odoratus,  188 
Rudbeckia  maxima,  195 


Sage,  meadow,  189 
Salisburia  adianti  folia,  29,  299 
Salix  caprea,  37 

laurifolia,  98,  109 

pentandra,  98,  109 

regalis,  37 

rosemarinifolia,  29 
Sal  via  pratensis,  189 

splendens,  233 
Sambucus  nigra  aurea,  29 
Sand  wort,  212 

spring,  1 60 

Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  212 
Saxifraga  cordifolia,  158 

heart-leaved,  158 
Scabiosa  Caucasica,  189 
Sciadopitys  verticillata,  30,  145 
Sea  pink,  171 
Sedum,  195,  212 

acre,  195 

Fabaria,  195 

Sieboldii,  195 

spectabile,  195 
Sempervivum,  197 

arachnoideum,  197 

calcareum,  197 
Senecio  Japonica,  195,  196 
Senna,  American,  179 

bladder,  100 
Shrubs,  small  dwarf,  264 
Silene  Pennsylvania,  163 

Virginica,  174 
Silphium  laciniatum,  196 
Sky-line  for  trees  and  shrubs,  260,  262 

variety  of,  260 

Small  places,  arrangement  of  walks  and 
roads  on,  259,  266 


328 


INDEX. 


Small  places,  borders  on  walks  of,  treat- 
ment of,  262 

boundary  lines  on,  treatment  of,  261 
foliage  on,  evergreen  and  deciduous, 

262 

grouping  of  trees  and  shrubs  on,  260 
house  on,  position  of,  260,  264 
Sneezewort,  176 
Snowball,  75,  131,  293 

Japanese,  75,  289 
Snowberry,  131 
Snowdrop,  169,  204 
Solanum,  224,  235 
Solidago,  196,  214 
Canadensis,  197 
rigida,  197 
Shortii,  197 
Sophora,  weeping,  152 
Sorrel  tree,  99,  126 

autumn  appearance  of,  314 

bark  of,  314 

bush  form  of,  315 

flowers  of,  314 

rhododendrons    in    connection   with, 

315- 
Speedwell,  190 

gentian-leaved,  190 
Spircea,  290 
Billardii,  102 
bullata,  109 
callosa,  29 
callosa  alba,  29,  102 
crispifolia,  109 
Douglasii,  102 
Fortune!,  71 
Japonica,  163 
lobata,  190 
opulifolia,  252,  289,  293 

aurea,  71 
pentandra,  109 
prunifolia,  71,  109,  129 
Reevesiana,  29,  71 
salic  folia,  102 
Thunbergii,  129,  289 
tomentosa,  102 
trilobata,  71 
ulmaria,  190 
•  enusta,  190 


Spruce,  Alcock's,  142 

Colorado,  142 

Gregory's,  142 

Gregory's  dwarf,  80,  142 

Norway,  142,  144 

Norway  weeping,  29 

Oriental,  142 

tiger-tail,  81 

weeping,  142 

white,  80 

Spurge,  flowering,  181 
Staggerbush,  101 
Starvvorts,  191 

Russian,  178 
Statice  latifolia,  174 
Statues  on  small  place,  use  of,  261 
Stipa  pennata,  210 
Stokesia  cyanea,  197 
Stone-crop,  common,  195 
Stuartia  pentagynia,  99 
Sumac,  129 

Chinese,  124,  130 

cut-leaved,  129 

Summer-house,  location  of,  266 
Sunflower,  192,  214 

graceful,  192 
Surprise,  element  of,  266 
Symphoricarpus  racemosus,  29,  131 

vulgaris,  29,  131 
Syringa,  50 

Chinese,  51 

Persian,  51 

vulgaris,  51 
Swallow-wort,  176 
Sweet  gum,  95 

pea,  204 

-scented  shrub,  72 

-william,  204 


Tamarix  Africana,  29,  74 

Gallica,  74 

.   Indica,  29,  74,  99,  262 
Taxodium,  102 
Taxus  baccata,  85 

baccata  elegantissima,  85 
Tecoma  grandiflora,  105 

radicans,  28,  105 


INDEX. 


320 


Thalictrum  speciosum,  174 
Thorn,  American,  293 
box,  99 

cock-spur,  28 

evergreen,  108,  126,  148,  282 
Thrift,  171 
Tilia  dasystyla,  no 

sulphurea,  no 
Tradescantia  Virginica,  175 
Tritoma  or  Kniphofia,  193 

Uvaria  grandiflora,  210 
Trollius  Europaeus,  175 
Trumpet  creeper,  28,  105 
Tulip,  236 

Artus,  237 

Due  Van  Tholl,  237 

La  Belle  Alliance,  237 

tree,  63,  95 
Tunica  saxifraga,  175 
Turf,  importance  of  open  spaces  of,  273 
Turtle  head,  214 


Ulmus  parvifolia,  109 


VegetaDiC  garden  on  small  lawns,  265 
Vernonia  Noveboracensis,  197 
Veronica  amethystina,  190 

gentian  oides,  190 

longifolia,  190 

subsessilis,  190 
Viburnum,  74, 

lantana,  131 

opulus,  29,  75 

plicatum,  75 
Vinca  rosea,  233 
Viola  cornuta,  175 

pedata,  var.  bi  color.  158 


Violet,  158 

bird's  foot,  158 

horned,  175 
Virginia  creeper,  26,  28 

silk,  28,  113 
Virgin's  bower,  upright,  179 

W 

Wahlenbergia  grandiflora,  189 
Walnut,  black,  92 
Weed,  New  York  iron,  197 
Weigelia  Lavallei,  103 

rosea,  74 
Weigelia,  74,  102,  290,  293,  315 

dwarf  variegated,  103 
White  fringe,  62,  107 
Willow,  98 

drooping,  245 

goat,  37 

golden,  130,  150 

laurel-leaved,  98,  109,  126 

rosemary-leaved,  29 

royal,  37 

weeping,  128 
Wind-flower,  Japan,  213 

snowdrop,  160 
Wistaria,  28,  77,  205 

Sinensis,  77 
Woodruff,  171 


Yarrow,  downy,   170 

Egyptian,  175 
Yellow-wood,  120 
Yew,  golden,  85 

Irish,  85,  150 

silver-tinted,  8D 
Yucca  filimentosa,  29,  190 

recurva,  29 


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in  other  cities.  "—Philadelphia  Bulletin. 

G.   P.   PUTNAM'S  SONS,  Publishers, 

New  York  and  London.  (OVER) 


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